Memory Is The Key
by TheAssassinGame
Summary: The Americans weren't the only ones to make it to space. The British, led by the Conductor, are in the midst of the fight against the alien force, mostly enforced by the Freelancer team. Joining them is the new recruit, Agent Berkshire, who finds that the aliens are the least of her problems, along with a killer sense of deja vu.
1. The Newbie

Agent Ashlynn Berkshire turned off the ignition and jumped out of the warthog, snatching her rifle and bag from the passenger seat. It was a quiet morning, so when the rumble of the machine abruptly stopped, the silence chilled her. It was a new start, just another step towards her career as a Freelancer, that's what she kept having to remind herself. She took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"Hey!" A voice called out and she snapped her head up to see a patrolling soldier, positioned above the gate. "Who are you?"

"I'm Agent Berkshire, I'm the new Freelancer agent." She replied, keeping her rifle slack in her hands so to not suggest that she would open fire. All the same, she gripped it tight, nervously. It was her first day after all.

"Ah, so you're the newbie then," he chuckled. "C'mon in!"

The doors opened with a low groan and Berkshire walked on through. The growing noise of chatter and the steady rumble of vehicles reached her and as the silence faded away, she felt more at ease. There were the standard white soldiers positioned around the Freelancer base with the occasional Freelancer agent wandering around, passing the time. Those agents could be identified by their white or black armour that was striped with another colour, varying between the agent. Agent Berkshire's was white with a garnet red stripe down the centre of her helmet, making her easy to identify without having to take off her helmet.

She made her way to the control sector, avoiding the various glances from the other soldiers. Even the generally disinterested Freelancer agents turned to see the new arrival. This unnerved her.

The door opened as she held her hand up the sensor panel and Berkshire walked on, the weight of her bag growing increasingly heavy and the rifle becoming uncomfortable in her grip. Her footsteps were loud, echoing throughout the corridor. As the sound reached the far room, the three voices became silent.

"Agent Berkshire." She introduced herself, stopping in the doorway as the three men turned to her.

"Good morning, Agent Berkshire," the central man said. "I'm Agent London, the leader of the Freelancers as I suppose you're aware of."

He shook her hand and she filed away a mental note to address the Freelancer with the black and gold armour as 'sir'.

"I'm Agent Nottingham," said the man to London's right, a Freelancer decorated in black and silver armour. "I'm the second in command around here."

"And I'm, ah, Agent Buckinghamshire." Said the third, who was white, like Berkshire, but had a black stripe instead.

"So you're the third in command, then?" She asked after shaking his hand.

"He likes to think so, but he's just a good solider with a lot of respect." London chuckled.

"And that counts." Buckinghamshire insisted.

"I'm sure it does. Now, if you'll take Agent Berkshire around the base, get her introduced to everything here."

"Will do." He nodded.

Buckinghamshire walked ahead of her and kept a quiet disposition. The return of the crushing silence made her uncomfortable.

"So, not much of a talker, eh?" She tried to break the ice.

"No, not really." He answered, his voice soft but cutting deeper than the silence.

This was going to be awkward.

* * *

The first stop was the canteen, filled to the brim with noise from the soldiers and Freelancers, easing the uncomfortableness between them.

"Hey, Buck!" A voice was distinguishable in the rabble as three soldiers came bounding towards them.

"This is Agents Devon, Dorset and Leicestershire." Buckingham introduced, waving to the three. Devon had a white and yellow armour and what Berkshire assumed was her brother had a similar armour of white and orange. Leicestershire's armour was black and green, standing out between the other four white agents. They had their helmets tucked under their arms as they'd just been eating and the friendly faces revealed made Berkshire more comfortable. It was something about the helmets that made everyone look so robotic and inhuman.

"Call me Lester." Agent Leicestershire said, shaking Berkshire's hand.

"It's great to have another gal in the team." Devon told her, smiling. She had blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, similar to Dorset's hair, shorter but the same shade.

"Hey, does that mean we can call you Berks or something now?" Dorset suggested.

"That's cool." Berkshire nodded and turned to Buckinghamshire. "Can I call you Buck then?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever." Buckinghamshire shrugged.

And then, the uncomfortable silence returned.

* * *

"So, this is your room." Buck waved a hand to the almost painfully bright white washed room as the tour concluded.

"Homey." Berks nodded and stepped in, tossing her bag on her bed.

"You'll be reporting to Agent London at oh eight hundred hours every twenty four hour cycle for the next week until you've been fully inducted into the team." Buck continued, his voice steady.

"Right, cheers."

"I'll let you get settled in. At twelve hundred hours, come down to the canteen to eat and then there'll be a training routine where you can show off what you can do."

"Just after I eat? I thought you had to wait an hour."

"That's for swimming, Agent Berkshire."

"Not calling me Berks, eh?"

"It's unprofessional."

"The others call you Buck."

"I didn't ask for it." He snapped and turned, heading for the door.

That was it. She'd had enough.

"Hey!" She yelled and Buck turned back, his head titled to the side. Berks regretted that. Despite all the Freelancers being a team and supposedly equal, there was a ranking system and Buck was at the top.

"Yes, Agent Berkshire?" He responded, a threatening tone hardly hidden under his seemingly innocent question.

"What is your problem with me?" She demanded, folding her arms and glaring through her visor. "Did I do something to you that offended you? Is my report not good enough, am I not good enough to be a Freelancer?"

"My opinion of you should not matter." He answered sharply, and stormed out.

"Balls." Berks muttered as she slunk back into her room. "I'm so dead."


	2. New Tricks

Berks didn't eat. She sat in the canteen alone, her tray before her, untouched. What the hell was wrong with that guy? He clearly did not get along with her at all, but there had to be a reason behind it. She just didn't know what it was.

Her eyes drifted up to the clock and jolted as she realised how long she'd been lost in her own world.

"Bugger." She growled, jumping up and sprinting down to the training sector.

A large floor, decorated with crates and a table at either end, covered in various weaponry told her that they were ready for her.

"You're late." Buck said, turning when he heard her.

"Yeah, good to see you too. You didn't actually give me a specific time though."

"It's nearly thirteen hundred hours, we didn't think it would take you an hour to eat."

"What can I say, I'm a slow eater." She shrugged then gazed across the warehouse again. "So, am I going to be fighting you?"

"No." He shook his head and stepped back. "You're fighting him."

As Buck jogged up a set of stair to the spectator room, Berks turned to see a black and blue Freelancer appear from the other side of the warehouse. He rolled his shoulders and turned his head as he began to warm up.

"Uh, how about an introduction first?"

"Agent Berkshire, Agent Manchester." Buck's voice rang through the warehouse from the loudspeaker. "Now, first is hand to hand combat. When you're ready."

"Hi!" Berks waved to Manchester as he barrelled towards her. "Ah, another guy who's not much of a talker then, eh?"

Manchester dived and Berks jumped to the side.

"I think we should really get to know each other first." She called as he rolled and bounded onto his feet.

With a snarl, he threw a punch and Berks deflected it. Manchester kicked at her knees but she jumped. He hooked his boot around the back of her leg and when he brought his leg back, Berks' legs vanished beneath her.

"Woah!" She was winded, but it didn't stop her from joking around. "You gotta buy me dinner first!"

Straddled on her, Manchester kept throwing punches but Berks snatched his hands and pressed them to the ground, either side of her head. She bucked, using momentum to kick her body into the air and flip, throwing Manchester over her head. He landed on his front as Berks twisted in the air and slammed into his back. He grunted and rolled, but Berks kept control. She wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled. He struggled and yanked on her arm but she was stronger.

"I yield!" He called out as his breath began to be cut off.

"Good, since I had a feeling you never intended to ask me out and that would be awkward!" She let go and climbed to her feet.

"I've missed this." He chuckled, leaning over as he tried to stand.

"Missed what?" Berks frowned. She'd never met this man before.

"Uh..." He looked up. "I missed the fights when my opponents talked. I don't get that a lot."

"I can imagine." Berks replied, unsatisfied with his answer.

"Next up is batons." Bucks announced and the two approached their tables, selecting their weapons.

Berks approached her table and selected the batons. It was long stick that was detachable in the centre. With a slight 'crack', she split it into two rods and pressed a small button on either handle. A crackle and a pulsing sound grew as sparks erupted from the rods. She twirled them around her wrists, listening to the electric whir, joining the rumble as pillars rose from the floor, in all different heights.

"This time," Manchester said as he faced her, pointing to the colours of his armour, "I'm going to beat you black and blue."

"Hilarious," Berks scoffed, preparing herself in a fighting stance.

"Go." Buck's voice came from the speaker and the two burst into action.

Berks knew that running straight into the midst of pillars would make her look vulnerable and stupid. And that's exactly what she wanted.

Another pair of feet added to the beating of her own footsteps as she sprinted, and she knew Manchester was behind her. She bolted for a pillar and didn't slow as it rushed to meet her. Her body adapted to the quick change in gravity as she kicked off the pillar and flipped backwards. In mid-air, she saw the pulsing light of Manchester's baton, still connected together like a javelin, rushing for her head. She blocked it with one of the rods, pushing it away from her as she landed, using the other to counter the motion. He twirled the weapon and sparks flew, threatening to set their armour alight as their rods made contact.

"Ah, c'mon!" Berks laughed as she parried and returned each strike with ease. "You can do better than that!"

Manchester growled and advanced, stepping forward as he fought. Berks kicked out, slamming Manchester's frame into the pillar behind him, using the momentum to flip backwards. Once vertical, she didn't stop. She kicked off the other pillars, jumping from one to another as she ascended, gaining higher ground.

"Bet you can't get me!" She taunted, waving her hands as she turned off the electric rods and clicked them in place to her thighs.

"You willing to keep that bet?" Manchester tested the weight of the baton in his hand.

"Yeah. You hit me, fair and square," she slapped a hand to her armoured chest, "and I'll clean your armour for a week." The impact of the rod wouldn't kill her, but it would damage her armour, give her an intense electric shock and a headache that would last a fortnight.

"Make it a month." He said and threw the baton.

The electricity sparked as it flew through the air, the sound of it throbbing and crackling, approaching Berks at a rapid speed. She was a sitting duck, it'd hit her right square in the-

At the last second, Berks snatched the baton from the air and jumped. She split the baton into two, leaping towards the man that threw it. Her boots slammed into Manchester's body and he fell back.

"Looks like it'll be you on cleaning duty, eh?" Berks grinned under her helmet and stabbed the rods into his chest plate.

The sparks flew from where it made contact and his body convulsed, but it wasn't fatal. Berks stood, standing away from the smoking form.

"Damn in, Manchester!" Buck's voice rang out and Berks saluted mockingly to the booth where spectators watched from.

"I'm... Okay..." Manchester tried to sit up, but fell back.

"C'mon, buddie." Berks offered a hand and he took it, weakly getting to his feet.

"You're pretty good, Agent Berkshire." Manchester said, batting away the smoke. "You got me pretty quick."

"Hey, call me Berks." She patted his shoulder. "And you're damned good yourself, I thought I was gonna have to be cleaning your armour for a month for a moment there."

"Alright, Berks, call me Chester."

"Not Manny?"

"Nah, there was a guy that called me Manny a while back," he said, looking past her as he spoke.

"Oh? And what happened to him?"

Chester turned and looked her straight in the eyes.

"He's dead now."

"Okay! Chester it is then!" Berks held her hands up, unsure if his story was true or not.

"Agent Berkshire and Manchester, get up here on the double!" Buck called out and Berks groaned.

"Is he always like this?" She grumbled as they jogged across the warehouse, the pillars disappearing back into the ground.

"No..." Chester shrugged, a hand in the railing as they took the stairs. "He used to be happier but-"

"But shit happened and I got cranky." Buck finished, waiting for them at the top if the stairs.

They stopped.

"My behaviour has got nothing to do with either of you. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Agent Buckinghamshire." They said, their voices monotone, like school children brought before the headmaster.

"Now, do you want your reports or not?"

"Yes, Agent Buckinghamshire."

"Stop saying it like that, that's annoying."

"Yes, Agent Buckinghamshire."

Berks and Chester glanced to each other, grinning under their helmets. Buck glared and shoved the device into Berks' chest before storming past them.

Sucking air through their teeth, Chester and Berks drew their attention to the device, holding analysed details of the fight, the scores and development.

"That was a good trick, taunting me like that." Chester pointed to the footage of Berks waving atop a pillar. "And chatting away too, really put me off."

"Really? Huh."

"Who taught you that?"

"I don't know, but it worked so far so I think I'll carry on using that trick."

Buck, in the process of storming away, had stopped and listened for a moment. Then, he grunted and left the building.


	3. Harsh Words

"Fall in!" The voice bellowed and the Freelancers who had gathered in the training room, the huge warehouse, merged into lines, standing straight and still as London and Nottingham stood before them.

"Agent Wight, where is your helmet?" London asked the young, red headed Freelancer who bit his lip nervously.

"I... I don't know, sir."

London sighed.

"Agents Herefordshire and Hertfordshire, step forward."

Two similarly dressed Freelancers stepped forward. Known as Ford One and Ford Two, they both had white and varying shades of green armour. When they removed their helmets, their pale blonde hair and blue eyes made it very clear they were twins. They looked so alike, it was rumoured they were a biological experiment of the same person but split into two bodies. They certainly acted like it.

"Hand it over." London held out a hand and the two men glanced to each other, before retrieving the white and grey helmet from behind their backs.

"It was only a bit of fun, sir." They said in one voice.

"Hm." He grunted, handing the helmet back to the poor boy.

"Thank you, sir."

"Next time, don't let them take it from you. You should be able to protect yourself, Wight."

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir."

London moved on and stood before Berks.

"Welcome to the team, Agent Berkshire, good to have you here."

"Thank you, sir, good to be here." She nodded.

"For the first week or so, to get fully inducted, you will be shadowing Agent Buckinghamshire."

"Yes, sir." Berks said, trying to hide her discontent.

"Sir, I really don't think that-" Buck began but was cut off as London waved a hand, dismissing him.

"I've made up my mind. Stop being a child."

"Yes, sir."

London waved for them all to leave and Buck stormed away. Without an order to do otherwise, Berks followed.

"Hey, wait up!" She called jogging down the corridor, struggling to keep up with his long strides.

He said nothing as he slammed his shoulder into the locker room and barged in.

"Buck." She tried again as he opened his locker and pulled off his helmet, throwing it in with a hollow bang. He yanked off his gauntlets, boots and all until he stood in a t-shirt and shorts, a dog tag hanging from around his neck. As Berks took off her own helmet, she noticed the ring on his dog tag chain, a rather odd place for a piece of jewellery. In suspicion, she glanced at his left hand, gripping his locker door. Her suspicious were confirmed, on his finger was a gold band just like that around his neck.

"I know you don't want me around, but London-"

"I don't give a _shit_ what London said!" Buck snarled, pointing a finger at her. "I don't want you around, just leave me alone."

Berks said nothing and just stood silently as Buck turned on his heel and marched towards the showers. Then, the deafening silence returned.

* * *

Berks trained alone, exercising, fighting, all were solitary activities. That ring kept crossing her mind. It must have been a wedding ring, or something of an equal value. In that case, it would have been a wife or a girlfriend, or someone very dear to him that he had lost. Had she left him? Had she died?

"Hey, Berks!" Chester called and she turned to see him jog towards her.

The holographic opponent that she was training with responded to voice command, so as her attention was diverted, she commanded the system to pause and it did so.

"I haven't done your laundry yet I'm afraid, please don't get me with those rods again!" He mockingly begged.

"Don't worry about it, you don't have to do anything." She shrugged.

"You alright?" He tilted his head.

"Yeah, fine."

"Oh, c'mon, what's Buck said now." He folded his arms like an over protective older brother.

"How do you know it's Buck?"

"Because you always look like that when it's Buck."

"I've been here three days, I can't have developed 'a look' already."

Chester seemed to falter before he responded.

"It's always Buck, no one is a bastard like him. C'mon, Berks, what did he say?"

Berks sighed and swung her arms, turning away from the holographic opponent she had been focused on. The pause symbol in its chest signified its frozen state.

"He told me he didn't want me around, no matter what London said."

"Ah, he's just being bitter, he'll get over it." He waved a hand.

"He had a ring, a wedding ring. Did he lose someone?" She asked. It was a private question but if he didn't want to tell her, he wouldn't.

"Yeah, he was married a while ago, lovely girl. She was involved in this project where she got a bit crazy. Actually, a lot crazy. She went over on the other side, where she was fighting the Freelancers. She managed to kill Durham, Kent and Bristol before Buck found her."

"And he killed her?"

"Well, we're not sure, no one's stupid enough to ask. She was killed though, by either London or him, in order to defend everyone else."

"So he's been a bit of a dick ever since."

"Yep, but don't let that get you down."

"But it's like it's just me."

"Berks, I have one word for you." Chester shook his head and stepped back.

"Oh?"

"Play."

"Play? Wha-"

The holographic training opponent switched back on at Chester's command and its fist flew out, hitting Berks across the jaw and sending her flying to the floor.

"Stop! Reset! Bastard!" She yelled as she twisted her helmet back on straight from being sprawled on the floor.

Chester burst out laughing. "Just let it go, Berks. Don't take it personally." He said between breaths.

"I'll keep that in mind." She said, getting back on her feet.

Then, a small device, like those archaic pagers, began flashing and beeping on Chester's belt. He tapped it, sending the information to his visor.

"I've gotta go, business calls." He said, after reading and waved, jogging away.

He barely heard the whistle of the helmet flying across the air until it smacked into his head.

"The hell?" He spun, picking up the white and red helmet.

Chester looked up to see Berks give a slight wave.

"I want that scrubbed and all the dents out by tomorrow! Maybe with a new paint job!" She yelled across the hall. "Expect the rest of my armour then!"

He saluted, tucked the helmet under his arm and left her to it.

'Yeah, she was feeling better,' he thought with a smile.


	4. Investigation

Berks rolled over and stretched. She rubbed her eyes and yawned.

"Get up."

She screamed and punched the face that was mere inches from her own. When her fist hit the visor of a helmet, her scream turned to a whimper of pain.

"Buck, _what_ _the fuck_?" She said to the Freelancer who adjusted his helmet and stepped away from the bed as she nursed her hand.

"We've had a call to investigate a blue base. Get dressed."

"Have you heard of knocking?" Berks snapped, sitting up.

He said nothing but turned away, folding his arms as she changed into a tank top and shorts before pulling on her armour.

"What happened to the blue base?" She asked as they left the room, making their way to the armoury.

"Something wiped out all the blue soldiers there. We were told to check it out."

Berks and Buck loaded up with weapons, rifles and pistols, grenades and bombs, then set out, jumping into the nearest warthog. As they left the base, Berks found herself smiling. For once, Buck wasn't screaming at her or belittling her.

"You can stop smiling now." Buck said, his voice stony, not even looking at her.

"Wow, how long was that, ten minutes? Must be a new record." Berks grumbled.

"Shut up."

"You shut up."

Buck turned and glared through his visor.

"Hey, eyes on the road." Berks signalled and he looked back, still maintaining his usual intimidating, angry disposition.

They drove on in silence, the only sound being the grumble of the warthog across the dusty roads. Berks watched the world roll by. It was the same world that they saw all day, every day. Maybe, long ago, these hills and valleys were once beautiful but now, they were mundane, ugly features of an insignificant and desolate landscape. The grass was patchy and mud covered most of the ground. If not mud, dust. She would have liked to see this place years ago, when everything was green and fresh. What animals would have lived here? What did they look like? How did they-

"We're here."

Buck jumped out of the warthog and Berks followed. As Buck stood in front of what seemed like just another hill, the holographic image wobbled and morphed into the concrete base.

"Oh shit." Berks gasped

The blue soldiers were strewn across the base, blood dried over their wounds, splattered across the walls and floor.

With a click, Buck readied his pistols and stepped into the base. Berks raised her rifle and followed. Her breathing seemed more strained, her heartbeat louder.

"What happened here?"

"That's what we're trying to find out."

Berks knelt by a body, resting her rifle by her side. The wounds, they didn't seem to be caused by alien weaponry. It was like normal bullet wounds.

"Friendly fire?" She asked Buck who stood behind her.

He shook his head.

"Can't be. We would have heard about this. A mayday call would have been made before all of them would have died."

"Whoever did this knew what they were doing."

"Whatever did this."

"It was human." Berks said assuredly, standing.

"You have no proof."

"You have no proof it was anything else."

"It's always aliens, that's what we're fighting out here."

"Doesn't mean something else can't find the time to fight us. We're not particularly well liked." Berks turned away, lowering her voice. "Well, some of us at least."

"I heard that."

"Good."

Berks stepped through the bodies as continued her search as Buck analysed the room they were in.

"Any signs of forced entry?" He asked.

Berks checked the door panel and as she pressed her gauntlet to it, the panel beeped, glowed green and the door opened. All bases were equipped with fingerprint recognition that granted access to either red or blue soldiers, depending on the base but was accessible to all Freelancers.

"No." She said, standing in the corridor, checking the door. "Looks like they walked right in."

Buck followed her into the corridor, double checking the door. Berks stalked the cold corridor, her rifle raised. Her footsteps echoed about and the lights on the ceiling cast her shadow ominously.

"How long ago did this happen?" She asked, turning the corridor.

"Not too long ago, we got the call as soon as the communications went dead."

"And you so kindly woke me up." She grumbled sarcastically.

"I'm sure you would have been pissed if I left you behind."

"Yeah, probably. Could have done with a lie in though."

Buck chuckled.

Berks turned, lowering her rifle.

"Holy crap, did you just laugh?" Her jaw nearly dropped.

"Nah, you're hearing things." He replied, but there was a definite smile in his voice.

Berks grinned and walked on ahead. She stepped into a hall, bodies covering the floor. Crates and other sorts of boxes of equipment were scattered about.

"How long ago do you think they left?" She asked, glancing around the hall.

"Still think 'they' are human?" He grunted, standing in the doorway.

"Yep." She nodded.

"Well, I'm guessing they would have gone right after the massacre."

Then, there was a clatter in the far end of the hall. The few lights that worked in there failed to illuminate its source. Frowning, Berks stepped closer.

"Berks." Buck said, his voice wasn't commanding, but cautious. "They didn't leave. They're still here."

"What?"

Gunfire ripped through the silence as the figures in the dark leapt out, their weaponry sparking as the bullets tore across the hall.

And Berks was a sitting duck.

"No!" Buck roared and tackled her to the ground. Bullets peppered the floor where she was just standing.

They rolled behind crates, splintering under the heavy machine gun fire. Berks returned fire, but it was hard to see where the enemies were in the dark. She switched her visor to night vision to see more clearly, and Buck caught her eye. He was crouched beside her, his head bowed. Instead of gripping his pistols, he was gripping his side. Blood oozed from between his fingers.

"Shit! Buck!" She dropped the rifle and pulled him towards her, turning him of his side. Bullets had ripped right through his armour when he had dived at her.

"What kind of ammo is this?" She thought out loud. Standard bullets wouldn't pierce the Freelancer armour, this was something much more advanced.

They had to get out of there. Enemies were coming from the dark and hid out of sight without any trace but the sparking machine guns. They had no idea how many there were, where they were or when they would pause to reload.

Berks grabbed Buck's free arm and pulled it around her neck. She fired blindly, hoping to shoot down at least one of them, before they made a break for the door.

"Hold on!" She called to Buck as he stumbled in her grip.

She slammed her hand down on the door panel as they threw themselves from the gun fire. The panel flashed red and the door slammed shut. The rattle of the machine guns slowed and stopped.

"Come on, Buck!" Berks pulled the weak form to his feet. He was losing blood fast.

"Mayday! Mayday!" She yelled into the distress call communicator in built in her visor. "This is Agent Berkshire of the Freelancers! Requesting immediate back up! We were ambushed! Agent Buckinghamshire's been hit! We need a medic! _We need help_!"

Buck's legs gave out, his blood leaving a splattered trail.

"Buck, c'mon! They're chasing us!" She nearly cried. She couldn't deal with having him die on her first week. Yeah, he was annoying and mean as hell, but she didn't want him to die.

"Don't die! Dammit, Buck, c'mon!"

He growled, finding his feet.

"That's it, c'mon, just to the warthog!"

They made their way outside, nearly tripping over the blue bodies that the ambushers had left lying around. The warthog in sight, they picked up the pace. But the rumble of feet behind them urged them to move even faster.

Suddenly, more gunfire ripped through the air, the source unknown, blocking their escape. Berks dropped behind a rock, one of many that were scattered around the base. Buck was bleeding out, he wasn't going to last long.

"Mayday! Mayday!" She shrieked, feeling like no one would ever find them.

"Berks..." Buck said weakly, reaching for her arm. "I'm sorry."

"No, shut up, don't do this, you're not going to die!"

"Listen, I'm sorry how I treated you, I just... I..."

"Buck!"

His head rolled to the side.

"BUCK!"

She pressed the side of his helmet, checking his vitals. He was still breathing. With a breath of relief, she sat up, raising her rifle in an attempt to fight back.

There was nothing. She stared through the scope but there was no figures, not even one, that stood out. She switched to night time, infra-red, motion detection, any modification under the sun that would help her, but nothing worked.

"Show yourselves!" She yelled. "Fight with some honour, dammit!"

"There's no honour in war." A low voice growled back, from no distinct direction.

She fired blindly again, screaming as the bullets peppered the air.

Suddenly, the sound of an airship filled the skies, the air twisting around them, dust flying.

"Agent Berkshire!" The voice of London called out. "Get up here! We'll cover you!"

Figures of London, Devon, Dorset and Chester dropped into the dusty ground, holding up shields of energy. Bullets came at them from all directions, but they turned and twisted, blocking all the fire.

Chester raced over and helped Berks to lift Buck. With the roar of the airship above them, London called orders for ladders to drop. Chester strapped Buck to a pulley that would support his weight and clambered up the ladder, one arm holding out the shield to protect both of them.

Berks followed, London, Dorset and Devon in her wake. They leapt up the ladders and they were barely half way up before the airship began to move, flying away from the carnage.

"How is he?" Berks asked the onboard medic who unstrapped Buck and with the help of London, pulled him onto a stretcher.

"Bad." She said, taking off his helmet. "Help me take the armour off."

Berks nodded as the medic snatched an oxygen mask from the side of the ship and placing it over Buck's face. She pulled off his chest plate, finding herself frozen, staring at the ring on his dog tag chain, draped on his chest.

"Why did you have to apologise, you bastard?" She sighed, nearly crying. "You saved my life. How can I be fucking mad at you now?!"

Together, Berks and the medic took off his armour, leaving him in a t-shirt and shorts. Blood nearly covered his entire torso.

"Nearly all the bullets went right through." The medic said, rolling him on his side. "He's passed out so this will make removing what's left easier."

She pulled up his shirt and with sterile tweezers, dug into his flesh.

"Pass me a dish." She ordered and London, the head of the Freelancers, did what he was told without question.

With a clatter, she dropped the first bullet into the metal dish, shortly followed by a second.

"We should keep those for evidence. See what kind of weapon they used." Dorset suggested.

"It has to be human." Berks said, standing by Buck's feet, not taking her eyes from him. "There's no way the aliens have that advanced weaponry."

"We don't know for sure." London said. "There's so much we still don't know about the aliens."

The silence returned as they all watched the medic hovering over Buck, plucking out bits of shrapnel and dropping them in the dish. Once clear, she wrapped his wound up in a bandage.

"He's stable." She announced. "He'll need a surgical consult in case any internal organs have been damaged, but other than that he'll just need some time to recover."

"Thank you." London said, patting her shoulder.

"Just doing my job, sir."

The airship arrived at command, the roar of the engine turning to a rumble before it landed. Buck was rushed out with the medic, straight to the surgical wing as the other five jumped down, not quite sure what to do next.

"You alright?" Devon asked, a hand on Berks shoulder.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." She smiled.

"He's gonna make it, ya know." She told her. "He's a fighter."

Berks nodded and followed Dorset, Chester and London into the hospital. It wouldn't be long before they had the update on Buck's condition, but for now, all they could do is wait.


	5. A Crazy Idea

Silence seemed to be Buck's closest friend. In the hospital bed, that's all that surrounded him. The chatter from the medics and the nurses seemed so far away and even the monotonous beep of the life support machine was hardly noticeable.

His chest rising and falling, the heart rate monitor and the steady fogging up of his oxygen mask were the only signs that he was still alive. But Berks lived in fear that any one of those three would stop. Because if it did, it would _all_ stop and it would all be her fault.

"Why did you jump? Why did you have to save me?" She whispered to his prone form. "You could have let the newbie die and got the hell out of there. You would have been fine."

Berks pressed her face into her hands, the metal gauntlets cold against her cheeks.

"Hey, you alright?"

She jumped, turning to see Chester at the door.

"Yeah, I'm good." She sighed, leaning back in her chair.

"You don't look too good to me." He said.

Chester walked into the room and pulled up another chair on the opposite side of the bed, placing his helmet by Buck's feet.

"Why do you guys have to be so heroic all the time?" Berks grumbled. "If it wasn't for me, he wouldn't be here, hooked up to this bloody machine."

"Would you rather be dead, Berks? And have Buck spend the rest of his life grieving, regretting that he didn't save you?"

"He wouldn't do that."

"He would."

"Chester, I mean fuck all to him. He's given me nothing but grief ever since I arrived here and he wouldn't give me a second thought if he died."

"You don't know that."

"I do."

"Look, Berks, go have a break, grab a coffee." Chester waved her off and reluctantly, Berks obeyed.

She arrived in the reception and was greeted by Dorset and Devon sitting either side of a table, straws in their mouths with a scrunched up tissue flying across the table.

She found herself smiling at the siblings' childish display as she poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down beside them.

"How's Buck doing?" Devon asked, taking the straw from her mouth.

"Same as before." Berks replied as Dorset seized his chance and with red face, sent a gust of breath through the straw and made the tissue blow off the table into his sister's lap.

"Ah! Damn, okay, four four, a tie." Devon announced.

"Where's London? I thought he'd still be around here somewhere." Berks asked, taking a cautious sip of coffee.

"He had an urgent message, he had to go back to base." Dorset replied as Devon placed the tissue back on the table.

"Mhm hm." She nodded, making a face as she burnt her tongue.

"You would have thought, hundreds and hundreds of years after coffee was invented, they would have made something that would make it a drinkable temperature instantly." Devon sighed, bored from the game and now was just flicking it about the table with the straw.

Suddenly, Chester came bounding up the them, a grin on his face.

"Guys, Buck's awake."

* * *

Berks kept quiet as the four of them chatted away in the room. Devon and Chester had the two chairs and Dorset stood behind his sister, leaning on the back of the chair while Berks stayed at the door.

"So, any idea what it was that was shooting at you?" Devon asked. "The medic had to take a shit load of bullets out of your side."

"I don't know. I couldn't see anything. I passed out before I even knew you guys were there."

"London was here earlier but he had to go." Dorset repeated. "He wanted to see you wake up but apparently it was urgent."

"You should have seen it, mate," Chester punched Buck's shoulder, "the medic literally ordered London about and he did it. I'd never seen that happen before."

Buck chuckled and glanced up to Berks standing in the doorway. When their eyes met, she dropped her gaze and his chuckle faded.

"Guys, whatever it was, or whoever it was, that attacked us, they knew we were there. They waited for us." Buck told them.

"You don't think that the blue base massacre was a trap do you?" Devon turned, glancing between Berks and Buck.

"The call came too quickly. I was told to investigate what must have been immediately after they were killed. None of the soldiers had a chance to make a mayday call, all its systems were working normally, there was no attack and defence protocol in motion."

"And whoever, whatever it was that sent Buck the call came directly from Command." Berks added.

"What, you think it's related? Are you saying Command sent an ambush to kill you guys?" Chester frowned.

"Maybe it's a training programme?" Devon shrugged.

"Well if it is, it's a very sick one." Berks folded her arms.

Buck signalled for Berks to get the door and she closed it behind her, stepping over to the foot of the bed.

"If I were strong enough, I'd be the first to go but there's something I need you guys to do." He said and the four moved closer as his voice lowered. "I need you to infiltrate Command, see why two Freelancers were sent into an ambush."

"You think it's Cumbria?" Chester asked, causing murmurs between the others.

"Who's Cumbria?" Berks whispered.

"She went rogue, nearly killed Buck a while ago. Fights against the Freelancers now." Devon answered.

"Possibly," Buck answered Chester's question, "but either way, I think the AI programme has something to do with it."

"No way." Dorset shook his head. "That was shut down for good after... Well, you know..."

"Something wants the Freelancers dead. It was set up by Command, I'm sure of it."

"What have they been giving you, buddy?" Chester tugged gently at the drip Buck was hooked up to.

"Seriously, Chester, I'm dead sure."

"Buck, you're going to be nothing but _dead_ if you go through with this."

"_We're_ going to be the dead ones." Devon said. "Buck, we all trust you with our lives, but this is crazy talk! There's four of us, we go in, we get shot down if there is something against us or we get court marshalled if there's not."

"Then get London, get Sheriff, get anyone that would help." Buck insisted.

"Buck, in all due respect," Chester put a hand on his shoulder, "you've gone mental."

"Oh, c'mon! Why won't you believe me!" He let his head fall back in the pillow, defeatedly. "If we let this go, more of us could get seriously injured or killed."

"Buck's right." Berks said.

All heads turned. Buck raised his head.

"What?" Dorset made a face.

"Looks like some of the crazy's rubbed off on you." Chester sighed.

"Seriously, we need to take this risk." Berks said, receiving a confirming nod from Buck.

Then, Chester's belt blipped and he put his helmet on, checking the incoming call.

"Woah, slow down, kid." He answered. "I'm gonna put you on hologram mode, tell the others what you told me."

A fuzzy image of Wight flashed up in front of them and Chester took off his helmet, the projection wobbling as he set it down. Wight's bright green eyes were wide and he had the panicked expression of a skittish rabbit.

"What is it Wight?" Devon asked.

"It's the others, they've gone missing." He replied breathlessly.

"What?! All of them?!" Dorset exclaimed.

"No, just a few. Not enough to be noticed by everyone."

"How did you find out?"

"This morning, the Fords usually play tricks on me, like put cling film on my toilet or clear tape across the door ways-"

"That's horrible." Devon frowned.

"That's funny." Her brother chuckled.

"Focus, please." Buck snapped and Wight continued.

"And, well, there was nothing. I thought that they were maybe saving it for later, a big thing, but nothing. And Lester's gone. And Staffie, Mersey and Rut."

"That's six Freelancers." Berks shook her head. "Did they get a call, to investigate any bases?"

"I don't know." Wight shrugged. "They just... Vanished."

"What about the soldiers? Have any of them gone missing?" Chester pressed further.

"No, I checked. All the soldiers that should be here, are here."

"Right, then." Chester stood, patting Buck's immobile legs. "Wight, I need you to get a plane to come and pick us up. Get one with a cloaking device."

"What for?" He made a confused expression.

Chester grinned, glancing to Buck.

"It seems we've all caught a bit of the crazy. Wight, we're going to infiltrate Command."

* * *

The plane engine was stifled and the ugly, grey metal disappeared and all anyone could see was the sky.

"I'm guessing that this isn't strictly legal?" The pilot said as Berks, Chester and Wight stepped into the control room.

"Ah, not really." Chester bit his lip before he put his helmet on.

She shrugged and pressed the lever to her left forward.

"I don't care. Just as long as I get a good tip."

The plane rumbled slightly but swiftly changed to a smooth course. For those sitting in the back, it wasn't even worth the time to look up.

"How's Buck doing?" Berks asked as she walked into the back, her helmet under her arm.

"Same as before. He'll be improving in no time." Devon said as she took off her helmet, disconnecting the call between her and Buck.

"Good to know." Berks sighed, sitting down opposite her.

"You really care about him, don't you?" Devon grinned.

"As much as any one of you." Berks then made a face, gradually understanding what she was getting at. "He saved my life, I'm concerned about his well-being."

"But he was a dick to you."

"Yeah, but, like five minutes before the shooting, he was actually nice." Berks slumped, tilting her head back. "He... He actually laughed."

"You're kidding." Devon gaped. "I haven't seen that miserable bastard laugh since, well, before the incident."

"That was when his wife died, wasn't it?"

"Yeah." Devon nodded. "What happened? How did you get him to laugh?"

"He woke me up early for this mission and I was complaining so he said 'you'd be pissed if I left you behind' so I said 'yeah, but a lie in would have been nice' and he actually chuckled. Totally legit." Berks barked a laugh.

"That's crazy." Devon shook her head. "So, you're starting to get Buck to feel happy again, eh? And I saw that look in the hospital, full of sexual tension! Well, some sort of tension."

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me." Berks made a face. "We're having a girly talk? Really?"

"Hey, it's been a complete sausage fest here for ages and I haven't actually had a girly chat in forever! I just wanna have a girly talk with an actual girl once in a while!" Devon grumbled.

Berks found a smile.

"Alright then. What do you wanna talk about?"

"Yes!" She fist pumped, her blonde hair tied back in a ponytail swishing about as she did so. "Us girls have to stick together."

"Totally."

"So... You and Buck...?" She grinned, raising an eyebrow.

"Berks and Buck? What's going on?" Dorset said, jumping into the conversation. Then, he inhaled deeply and his eyes widened, darting back and forth between the two women. "Are you and Buck a thing now? Like a dating thing?"

"No!" Berks laughed, shaking her head. "Devon's just got this crazy idea that we're an item because he laughed at something I said."

"Shut up! You made him laugh? Girl, this looks like the real deal!"

"Are you totally sure it's been forever since you've had a girly chat?" Berks raised an eyebrow.

"I said it's been forever since I've talked to an actual girl." Devon corrected.

"If a man can't express his feelings then society is in the same old shit pile it was all those hundreds of years ago." Dorset threw his hands up in the air and walked out as the other Freelancers that Wight recruited stepped in.

"Hey, Devon, I got the shrapnel back from the lab." Said one, sitting down beside her.

"Thanks, Glo, whaddya find?"

He bit his lip, glancing around.

"You're not gonna like what you hear."

"I'm gonna like it even less if you don't spit it out." She gave a sickly sweet smile with just enough menace to kick Agent Gloucestershire into gear.

"The ammo was traced back to us." He said. "It was an advanced machine gun specially designed for Freelancer hands only. Whoever shot Buck, they were one of us."

"What?!" Devon stood in shock. "One of us? Glo, that's insane, someone must have stolen the gun!"

"It would have been reported, it had been assigned to the Freelancers to do with as they wish."

"Have you got any idea who it was? How many of them ambushed Buck and Berks?" Devon's voice began to rise in hysteria. It was bad enough knowing that there were people out there that wanted them dead, but knowing those people were one or two or even multiples of their own, now that was fucking scary.

"That's what we're trying to find out." Agent Yorkshire spoke up, flicking through the holographic tablet before him. "When Wight told us about the missing Freelancers, we put two and two together and figured they had something to do with this."

"You think the Fords tried to kill Buck?" Devon looked half amused and half appalled by the suggestion.

"It can't be a coincidence." York shrugged.

"Your conspiracies are going to have to wait." Chester said, his helmet on and his rifle held over his chest. "We're here."


	6. An Old Friend

"Now, how are we gonna do this?" Berks asked as they stood on the edge of the plane.

"Jump?" Devon shrugged, the wind whistling around them as they stared down at Command.

"We might have to." Chester grumbled. "They can't see us from up here but when we jump and lose connection to the plane, that's when they'll see us."

"Hopefully, they won't be looking." Glo said.

"If we take the roof, we can possibly go through the corridors in teams of twos or threes. We got word the Conductor's out so security will be lowered." Chester told them, scanning the building below. It was a long, grey monstrosity, split into four long, grey sections and it has often been said that airships looked more appealing than it. Then again, in this day and age, it seemed all good architects had just faded away. There was no attraction, there was only practicality.

"Dorset and Devon, head north, Glo, York and Wight, go south. Berks and I will go east. If you find nothing, go west. We'll meet back on the roof." Chester continued.

"Hey, why are we put with the liability?" Glo complained and Wight, if his face could have been seen under his helmet, would have looked quite defeated.

"Don't worry, Wight," York patted his shoulder. "He means me."

"Right, Vicky, keep out of sight, we'll let you know when we're done. Keep that cloaking device on!" Chester told the pilot.

"You got it." Came the crackling reply.

"Let's go then." Chester said and jumped.

One by one, the Freelancers followed, timid Wight bringing up the rear.

"Um, Chester?" Berks said as they fell.

"Yeah?" He replied looking down, focusing on his landing.

"If the plane's got a cloaking device on it, how will we find it when we're done?"

Chester turned his head so that he faced Berks.

"Shit."

They landed on the roof, one by one, their protective armour taking the impact and they rose from a kneeling position, raising their weapons as York continued kneeling. He placed his hands on the flat concrete and patted around.

"It's clear by the feel of it."

"...the hell?" Berks made a face.

"Watch this." Chester nudged her as York pulled out a bottle of something. He unscrewed the lid and poured it on the 'clear' patch.

The concrete melted away, leaving a gaping hole for them to jump through.

"Sweet." Berks nodded.

"It makes do when you haven't got an AI that helps you walk through walls." He said, an almost bitter tone in his voice. "This will last about five minutes so no one will know how we got in and won't raise any suspicions."

"Good. Let's move." Chester took the first jump and silently moved to the shadows, waiting for the rest of the team.

With quick nods, the Freelancers separated, Devon and Dorset taking the north corridor and Glo, York and Wight taking the south.

Berks followed Chester as he stepped down the east corridor. There were no patrolling guards. They were in luck.

"Clear?" Berks asked as Chester checked the rooms that were scattered along the corridor.

"Clear." He replied, lowering his rifle.

The muffling device on their boots made the silence stronger, the only sound seemed to be the nervous breathing of the Freelancers.

They arrived at a large door at the very end of the corridor.

"What do you think's in there?" Chester whispered.

"Only one way to find out."

Berks put her hand over the panel and it glowed green. With a low rumble, the door opened. The hall was empty.

She stepped in, rifle raised to the level of her head.

"See anything?" Chester asked, standing on the other side of the door, looking in.

"No, looks pretty-"

The door slammed shut, separating the two Freelancers.

"Shit!" Berks put her hand over the panel but it remained red. "Damn it! Chester!"

"I can't open the door!" He called, his voice muffled.

"Me neither!"

Then, footsteps. The click of readied guns. Berks slowly turned.

"You'd better put that down." Said one of the few dozen soldiers, his rifle pointing at hers.

Berks placed her rifle by her feet and raised her arms.

"Ah, bugger." She growled, glancing around the hall, filled with soldiers, all heavily armed and looking at her.

"Any last words?" The first soldier spat.

As she stared down the barrel of the gun, Berks could hear a whirring, or a rumbling. Something coming from the back of the hall. It sounded like construction work, like a jack-hammer...

"What's that noise?" Berks said and the soldier tilted his head.

"Strange choice, but okay..."

"Hey, I hear something too!" Came a voice among the soldiers, soon joined by more voices as the sound grew louder.

The soldiers turned their heads toward the noise, murmuring as they tried to work out what the increasing growl was, like a machine...

Concrete exploded and one figure, dressed in white and blue armour stepped forward, dropping the huge jack-hammer and raising two pistols.

"'Sup." Buck said and the gunfire started.

Berks flicked her automatic rifle into the air with her boot and snatched it, sending a stream of bullets tearing across the hall. Buck dived, on his knees as he shot at the nearest soldiers to him, those who had recovered from shock the quickest. Berks left a window of fire for Buck to stand and smacked the first soldier across the helmet with the butt of her rifle, cracking his visor and knocking him to the floor.

Buck jumped, running towards Berks and right down the middle of the soldiers. They weren't particularly bright so the shots that missed Buck, which were a great deal, found their mark on the other soldiers on the opposite side. Those left aimed with more precision until Buck hurdled one of them and flipped in the air.

"Ta dah!" He said, waving his hands as he landed and the soldiers lowered their weapons.

"Is this a joke?" One of them asked.

His helmet exploded with a gunshot that came from behind and Berks kicked the body to the side.

"No, but you guys are." She said and the soldiers snapped back to their senses, as if the insult had encouraged them to fight a little better.

Buck dropped to his knees as Berks ran at him and she jumped off his back, turning in mid air, firing behind her. She landed on another soldier, her boot crushing his head.

"You should really watch where you stand." She remarked, shooting the next three behind her without looking.

Buck stood and punched the soldier nearest to him, the man flying off his feet. He kicked out, keeping those close to him back, before running at them and leaping over them, clasping their helmets and shooting through it with a pistol before landing as their bodies crumpled beneath him.

"Don't lose your heads, lads!" He yelled as his boot flew out and hit a solider in the face with such a force that it broke his neck.

Berks leant forward when Buck signalled and he ran towards her, their backs meeting as he rolled off her, pistols firing either side. She knelt, taking down the two in front of her, yelling "bet you're glad you got out of bed this morning, eh?"

They stood and with a final shot from Buck, the last soldier fell.

"Woo!" Buck punched his fists in the air.

"Oh crap you're actually happy!" Berks laughed. "Is this real? Are you really Buck?"

He chuckled and holstered his pistols.

"It's good to see you too, Ashlynn." He patted her back and she froze.

No one called her Ashlynn.

Buck coughed, noticing the mistake.

"Thanks for stopping by," she continued, playing it by like it was no big deal, "I thought I was toast for a moment there."

"Nah, I wouldn't let you have all the fun." He said, pulling a corpse from the floor and holding the hand over the panel.

The panel bleeped green and the door opened, with Chester falling backward in front of them.

"Oh, hey, guys." He waved, lying on the floor.

"How are you doing down there, Chester?" Buck asked before helping him up.

"Better than these other goons by the looks of it." He said, dusting himself off. "Couldn't wait for me, could ya?"

"What can I say, three's a crowd." Buck shrugged.

"Ah, don't give me that again." Chester waved him off, then instantly regretted it. That word, 'again', chilled the air and that silence seeped back in.

"Right, ah..." Berks mumbled. "Where to next?" She was getting used to dismissing these awkward moments. Clearly there was something going on that they didn't want her to know about.

"Chester, head down the west side, try and regroup of you can. I found something over here," he signalled behind him, back in the corpse ridden hall they'd just left, "me and Berks are gonna check it out."

"Cool. Catch ya later." Chester waved and started jogging away.

The two of them turned, stepping back into the hall with Buck leading the way.

"I'm sorry I didn't work it out sooner," he said, his hands to the wall, "it would have saved you all a shit load of trouble."

"What?"

"Those soldiers, they weren't after us. They weren't after me. They were after you. These soldiers here," he waved a hand, "they were waiting for you."

"What?" Berks repeated. "Why?"

"This should tell us." Buck said and the wall gave way, lowering with a rumble, revealing a dimly lit sector, filled with panels and screens of all sizes.

"Woah..." Berks gaped, following Buck in.

He stepped up to a desk, scattered with buttons and holographic imagery and began tapping away. The screen faded from black into whatever Buck was searching for. Answers.

"When we were fighting back there, you were using the talking tactic too." Berks remarked, gazing around. "Guess the same person taught us that."

"Yeah, something like that."

"And here's me thinking you weren't much of a talker."

Figuring he had this covered, Berks continued on, exploring the rest of the sector. There were data towers taller than her, lined up like a maze. She took the outside route, so as to not get lost among them. It was darker further back and soon the light disappeared altogether. She flicked on the torch on the side of her helmet and looked about, seeing the same grey walls and the same wires and the same everything that was back where she came from.

Before she turned around, a light appeared ahead. She followed it and soon found her torch unnecessary and switched it off, met with a bold red glow from a glass case. Around it were more lights; blue, green, yellow, purple but the red was the strongest. Something was drawing her to this light.

"Berks?" Buck's voice echoed about the sector and through the darkness.

"I'm over here!" She called back, stepping closer to the red light, taking off her helmet.

The torch beam from Buck's helmet split the darkness as he approached her.

"Berks, what have you- get away from that." Buck's voice suddenly turned sharper.

"It's fine, Buck." Berks shook him off, her hand reaching out. The red light glowed on her face, giving her an ominous look.

"No, get away!" His hand shot out in an attempt to grab her shoulder but he didn't reach.

Berks' hand met with the glass, encasing the red light. Something pulsed beneath it.

Red lightning.

A shock that tore her off the ground.

No noise.

Darkness.

Then, a voice.

"_Hello, Agent Berkshire. It's been a while_."

The voice was unrecognisable, whether it was low or high, male or female, many voices or just the one. But then, it introduced itself.

"_I am Alpha_."


	7. A Blast To The Past

_Agent Ashlynn Berkshire turned off the ignition and jumped out of the warthog, snatching her rifle and bag from the passenger seat. It was a quiet morning, so when the rumble of the machine abruptly stopped, the silence chilled her. It was a new start, just another step towards her career as a Freelancer, that's what she kept having to remind herself. She took a deep breath and stepped forward._

_"Hey!" A voice called out and she snapped her head up to see a patrolling soldier, positioned above the gate. "Who are you?"_

_"I'm Agent Berkshire, I'm the new Freelancer agent." She replied, keeping her rifle slack in her hands so to not suggest that she would open fire. __All the same, she gripped it tight, nervously. It was her first day after all._

_"Ah, so you're the newbie then," he chuckled. "C'mon in!"_

_The doors opened with a low groan and Berkshire walked on through. The growing noise of chatter and the steady rumble of vehicles reached her and as the silence faded away, she felt more at ease. There were the standard white soldiers positioned around the Freelancer base with the occasional Freelancer agent wandering around, passing the time._

_"Er, hi," she gave a small wave, approaching one of the soldiers. "Which way is it to the..." She glanced down, checking a note in her hand that she had tucked in a pocket in her bag. "The control sector."_

_"That way." The soldier pointed in the direction of her destination. "It has hand recognition lock though."_

_"I've been scanned, it'll work. Thanks." She smiled, even though he wouldn't see under her helmet._

_Berkshire made her way to the control sector, glancing around as she went, taking in the surroundings. The door opened as she held her hand up the sensor panel and Berkshire walked on, the weight of her bag growing increasingly heavy and the rifle becoming uncomfortable in her grip. Her footsteps were loud, echoing throughout the corridor. As the sound reached the far room, the three voices became silent._

_"Agent Berkshire." She introduced herself, stopping in the doorway as the three men turned to her._

_"Good morning, Agent Berkshire," the central man said. "I'm Agent London, the leader of the Freelancers as I suppose you're aware of."_

_He shook her hand and she filed away a mental note to address the Freelancer with the black and gold armour as 'sir'._

_"I'm Agent Nottingham," said the man to London's right, a Freelancer decorated in black and silver armour. "I'm the second in command around here."_

_"And I'm Agent Buckinghamshire." Said the third, who was white, like Berkshire, but had a black stripe instead._

_"So you're the third in command, then?" She asked after shaking his hand._

_"He likes to think so, but he's just a good solider with a lot of respect." London chuckled._

_"And that counts." Buckingham insisted._

_"I'm sure it does. Now, if you'll take Agent Berkshire around the base, get her introduced to everything here."_

_"Will do." He nodded._

_Berkshire nodded to the two men before following Buckinghamshire out the way she came._

_"So, I heard you were the top of your class in Freelancer training, right?" He asked._

_"Yeah, something like that."_

_"That's pretty cool, not many girls get that achievement. It's kinda sexist, I know but hey, what can I say, guys are better!"_

_She glared and could nearly make out a grin under his visor. She turned, facing the direction of the corridor._

_"Ah, come on, I was joking!" He gently punched her arm and she ignored it._

_"Yeah, it was hilarious."_

_"Berks- do you mind if I call you Berks?"_

_"Yeah, sure, whatever."_

_"Berks, you need to lighten up. You can't be like this if we're going to work as a team. We're a family here. A large, slightly mass murdering, dysfunctional family."_

_"What, so I'm the new baby sister then?"_

_"You sure are."_

_"Ah, great."_

_"Hey, cheer up, you're one of us now!"_

_"Yeah, sorry for being such a bitch. I'm just a bit nervous." She bowed her head as they stood at the door._

_"Don't worry about it, everyone'll take care of you here." He assured her as the door panel glowed green, confirming Buckinghamshire's print under his gauntlet._

_"That's good." She nodded. "Does everyone have a nickname then?"_

_"Not everyone, but most people. I don't have one and neither does London."_

_"How about Buck?"_

_He tilted his head from side to side, working the name around his mind._

_"Yeah, that'll work. It's a hell of a lot easier to say than Buckinghamshire."_

_"Well then, Buck, where to first?" She asked, trying to keep the mood light._

_"First up, the canteen."_

_He introduced her to Dorset and Devon, brother and sister, who, as the usually were, were chatting and eating in the canteen. Shortly after that, they made their way around the base, stopping by at whatever should be important. Lastly, it was her room before she dropped off her bag and followed Buck back down to the training room._

_"I'm gonna fight someone?" Berks raised as eyebrow as they stood in the locker room. In the mirror of her locker door, she brushed her hair down which had managed to get tangled under her helmet._

_"Yeah." Buck leaned against the other lockers, watching her. "It's just so we know what you're capable of on a 'friendly-fire' scale."_

_"Right, who will I be up against?"_

_"A guy called Chester, he's pretty tough."_

_"Any tricks to get an upper hand?"_

_"Try talking."_

_"Talking?"_

_"Yeah, just chat away. It doesn't work for everyone but some agents get put off when their opponent is talking. They tend to concentrate, subconsciously, on their words rather than their actions."_

_"Sounds like a plan. I can do that." Berks finished tying her hair back and looked at Buck in the mirror. His helmet was on the bench beside him and he had a funny grin on his face as he watched her. Before he realised Berks was looking at him, she smiled. He was pretty damn attractive._

_He coughed, brushing his hair back with his fingers, then grabbed his helmet and shoved it over his head._

_"You ready?"_

_"Yeah," Berks closed the locker door and put her helmet on, rolling her neck. "Let's do this."_

* * *

_"Chase me! Chase me!" Berks squealed like a child as she darted in between the pillars, the growling form of Manchester furiously following her._

_"Where are you?" He would snarl every time he lost sight of her._

_"Over here!" She waved from behind another pillar and then would disappear again._

_Buck narrowed his eyes as he watched from the spectator booth. He'd seen footage of her back in training where she'd done this, darting around, hiding, confusing her opponent. But this taunting put a new twist on it. Manchester was falling for it, he was running right into her trap._

_"Come out, come out, wherever you are..." Manchester eerily called, stepping through the maze of pillars, he held the electric baton lightly in his hand, ready to throw at whatever gave the slightest movement. His footsteps were slow, cautious. She wouldn't catch him off guard._

_"Here I am!" Berks cheerily called and smacked the rod into his face._

_Manchester fell back and yanked off his helmet, coughing from being winded, the surprise clear on his face._

_"Wow, Berks, that was great!" Buck called out, laughing._

_Berks gave a mocking salute to the booth before helping Manchester back on his feet. He barked a laugh and ruffled his chocolate brown hair, hardly believing what had happened._

_"You're pretty damn good, Berkshire." He grinned, shaking her hand._

_"Cheers, you're a brilliant opponent, you nearly got me once or twice there." She answered, taking off her own helmet._

_Buck jogged down towards the two, punching his fists in the air._

_"What did I tell you, it really works, huh?"_

_"It sure did," Manchester said, massaging the back of his neck, "the only thing that would have made it more humiliating was if you'd bet me to do your laundry!"_

_"I'll keep that in mind for next time." She grinned and patted his back._

_"You should go up against Bria at some point, I'd like to see that match." Buck remarked and Manchester barked a laugh._

_"I'm sure you would." He grinned, giving his friend a wink._

_Berks raised an eyebrow but said nothing. _

_Manchester, who soon told Berks he preferred being called Chester, spent the rest of the day with her and Buck, exchanging stories about training and past missions they'd been on._

_"...so there we were, with probably a hundred aliens just staring at us-"_

_"-it was completely silent-"_

_"-and it seemed like forever where we just stared at each other." Buck said, the story jumping back and forth between him and Chester._

_"And then, Buck screams "WHO WANTS SOME?!" and I kid you not, the whole cave erupted in noise and they all came running at us, no, _thundering_ towards us."_

_"What did you do?" Berks asked, excited by the story. They sat in the canteen, eating a poor excuse of a dinner as other Freelancers and soldiers jumped, giving them funny looks at Chester's dramatic story telling._

_"We ran." Buck grinned._

_"We had rigged up an electric wire in the escape route and so, we legged in, slid under the wire and switched it on, right as they ran into it!" Chester added, laughing._

_"And their armour is highly conductive, so when all one hundred were bunched together, they were all fried."_

_"You took down a hundred aliens?" Berks shook her head, they had to be making this up._

_"A few probably survived, and, okay, they were the littler ones, but when the smoke cleared, it was just me, Chester and a shit ton of dead aliens." Buck smirked._

_"Wow, that's pretty good."_

_"Yep, we were placed on the ranking as first and second and we have been ever since." Chester shook his head. "I tell you what, if it was my idea for the electric wire, I would have got first."_

_"So you're all ranked here?" Berks asked._

_"Yeah, apart from London and Sheriff, they're like exclusive. They've been here from the beginning so are in charge of it all. According to Command, they're not even technically Freelancers."_

_"Who's Sheriff?"_

_"Nottingham, you know, Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham, that thing." Buck explained._

_"Yeah, 'Nott' didn't quite catch on." Chester shrugged._

_"Just like Manny, I assume?" Berks grinned._

_"Only one person called me Manny and do you know what happened to him?" Chester leaned forward and glared at her._

_"I have no idea, but I guess it wasn't pretty."_

_"They were picking bits of him off the road for weeks." He snarled and Berks swallowed, backing up in her seat._

_"Ah, shut up, Chester." Bucks punched his arm. "That was Agent Cornwall and he was involved in a serious accident to do with a malfunctioning warthog, Chester didn't kill him."_

_"Yeah, but it doesn't mean I won't kill you." He narrowed his eyes and managed to keep a stony expression as he stared down Berks. But as she burst out laughing, Chester gave in and his face creased into a smirk. "I will beat you black," he pointed to the two colours on his armour, "and blue."_

_"You're all idiots." Berks laughed, not in the slightest intimidated by Chester._

_Then, a bell rang, signalling the end or the beginning of the day, depending on the shifts. For a planet with twenty four hours of sunlight, it was hard to tell when was time to sleep._

_"Right, I'm off then." Chester stood, stretching. "I'll catch you tomorrow."_

_"Later," they waved._

_"Aren't you going?" Berks said as she leant back in the chair._

_"Aren't you?" Buck replied._

_"Not tired."_

_"Same."_

_In synchronisation, they sighed, staring up at the ceiling._

_"Soo..." Berks trailed off and Buck lifted his head, raising an eyebrow._

_"So?"_

_"Bria. You mentioned her earlier."_

_"What about her?"_

_"Tell me about her." Berks sat forward. "From what Chester said it sounds like you two have a thing."_

_"We don't have a thing." He laughed. "Agent Cumbria is a very skilled Freelancer, just under Chester on the Board."_

_"That's it?"_

_"That's it."_

_"Hm." She made a face and sat back._

_"Ah, c'mon, Berks." Buck rolled his eyes. "Did you really expect me to have a girly chat with you?"_

_"Nah, I thought you might have some gossip though." She grinned and he shook his head in defeat._

_"I give up." He threw his hands in the air. "I get enough of this from Devon." Laughing, he stood._

_"You going?"_

_"Don't want to start getting into conversations about nails unless I have to. Night." He waved and left to his room._

_"Yeah, night." Berks waved back and sighed. _

_She didn't trust guys when they said nothing happened. More often than not, it's the opposite. She wasn't jealous, of course she wasn't, she just wanted to know what was going on between Bria and Buck. She was just curious, that's all._

_At least, that's what she told herself._


	8. Sleeping Beauty

Her eyes were shut. She lay still on the floor.

The alarm pounded in his ears but he didn't care.

"Berks! Berks!" He screamed to the prone form. "BERKS!"

Her chest still rose and fell. Air still left her lips.

Buck cursed in relief and with a tentative finger, pulled her eyelid up.

Her eyes were red, blood red.

"Fuck."

He snatched her helmet off the floor and placed it over her head. Checking the side of it, her vitals read normal but in an unconscious state.

More red lights flashed about him as the blaring alarm told the whole of Command that they were there. He lifted her over his shoulder and ran.

Buck thundered down the corridor, red lights nearly obscuring his vision. A torrent of profanity streamed from his lips, like a muttering chant as he held onto Berks, unsure how at risk her life was.

Then, a large, grey figure with stiff movements came into sight at the end of the corridor. He slowed. Wait, no, it wasn't a figure...

It was a machine.

"Intruder alert." Its metallic voice rumbled. "Identity yourself."

Buck didn't stop. In fact, he sped up. He ran full pelt at the Mantis, switching Berks' weight into both arms as he dropped, sliding under the robot.

Bullets littered the trail and followed Buck as he stood.

"What the fuck, dude?!" Chester yelled, blocking the fire with his shield as he jumped down from the hole in the ceiling.

"Later, we need to go!" Buck shouted over he noise of the alarm, the gunfire and the heavy steps of the machine.

"Everyone's up on the roof but we can't see Vicky!"

"Shit!" Buck cursed, shooting at the machine with his free hand.

Suddenly, Buck was lifted off his feet, flailing in the air before landing uncomfortably on the roof, Berks still draped over his shoulder. Devon and Dorset looked down at him, amused, before they saw Berks.

"I'll explain later." Buck said, climbing to his feet, holding Berks.

"Ally-oop!" Chester exclaimed, hauling himself up through the hole, gradually shrinking as York's concoction began to wear off.

Bullets flew, not only from the machine below, but soldiers, either side of them as they swarmed upon the roof. They were like flies, eager and possessive over the rotting carcass that is Command.

"Oh, bugger." York grumbled, raising his automatic rifle.

"Surrender now!" One shouted.

"Drop your weapons!" Yelled another.

"Buck!" Devon called, her weapon aimed at one side, then the other, unsure and afraid. "What do we do?!"

"Something stupid." He yelled and ran.

"Buck, no!" Chester roared but it was too late.

With Berks in his arms, Buck leapt from the roof and into nothingness.

"BUCK!"

His feet smacked into invisible metal and a rush of relief snapped through him. Resting Berks down, he waved for the others to follow him from the onslaught of the raining bullets that began to fall.

One by one, Glo, York, Chester, Wight, Dorset and Devon followed him, landing shakily on the invisible plane, silently thanking Vicky for planning ahead.

"You're crazy!" Devon screamed as she ran, her feet leaving the security of the roof.

"You're crazier!" Her brother yelled, a laugh in his voice as he watched his sister jump towards them.

His laugh faded when she fell short.

Devon screamed as the rifle fell from her grip and down, down to wherever down led. She scrambled for anything but the metal was smooth and even if there was a foothold, she couldn't see it. A breathless squeal escaped her lips as she caught hold of something, a ledge, her body swinging in the air.

"DEVON!" Dorset yelled, rushing for his sister. He tripped, not seeing where he was going. Sprawled on the roof of the invisible ship, he froze, fear seizing his body as he realised it was not just his sister's life at risk.

"Dorset, stop! You'll fall!" York yelled. None of them dared move. One wrong step and they were gone.

"Vicky, take off the cloaking device!" Chester called with an abrupt, aggressive sense of urgency through the communicator.

"You sure?"

"JUST FUCKING DO IT!"

With a roar of an engine, the grey metal of the plane rippled back into sight. Once they could see, Dorset scrambled up and to his sister, hauling her up.

"VICKY, GO!" Chester roared and the plane shot off as the Freelancers opened the top hatch and jumped in, away from the disorganised stream of enemy fire.

"Are you okay?" Dorset asked his sister, his arm around her.

Devon's breathing was laboured and she clutched her side.

"Ask me in an hour." She gasped, sitting down.

"Right, you lot," Vicky's voice came through as a crackle. "Turn off your communicators now. We don't want anyone knowing where we are and what we're doing."

With a click, the Freelancers did as they were told.

"Now, Buck," Chester said as they all began to settle, "what the actual fuck happened to Berks? Why is she out?"

Buck laid her down on a stretcher to the side and sat down beside her.

"We found a hidden storage room. She was looking around and..."

"Spit it out, what happened to her?"

Buck took off his helmet and looked up. He was pale and he had an expression that they had all seen before.

"She found the AIs. And Alpha found her."

* * *

The Freelancers couldn't return to their base. They were fugitives, wanted by the authorities and even the Conductor wanted their heads. Vicky was in trouble too, an accomplice, so there was no way she could go back either. But she knew where secret bases where, up in the mountains.

The plane landed in the mouth of the cave and the Freelancers jumped out, studying their new home.

"It's not as good as we're used to," Vicky sighed, hopping out of the plane, "but it'll do."

"Why do you know all these hidden bases? Isn't that illegal?" Devon asked, nudging a bundle of wires with her foot.

"A lot of things are illegal in this day and age, hun." Vicky said. "Just some things are more illegal than others."

"And this is in the top ten." Chester said, picking up a box and rifling through it. "Fugitives were here."

"And now you've joined the club." She waved her hands. "Yeah, so I shipped supplies to fugitives. It paid well and nobody knew."

"Vicky, you are a dark horse." Glo patted her shoulder. "I like you."

"Well, make yourselves at home and I'll make a groceries run. I know a few places who won't care I'm a fugitive pilot."

"Will they care about us?" Devon asked.

"Fugitive Freelancers? Definitely." Vicky said, climbing back into the pilot's side. "Keep your heads down and it'll all be good."

"Right."

As the plane rumbled, the Freelancers stepped back, allowing Vicky to manoeuvre past them and out another cave mouth.

"We should just have the letters 'FF' scrawled across our faces." York grumbled as the engine of the plane faded away.

"FF?" Glo tilted his head.

"Fugitive Freelancers." York stated.

"Oh, God! I'm too young to be a criminal!" Wight began to hyperventilate. He took his helmet off and threw it to the floor, snatching an oxygen tank off the wall and breathing heavily into the mask, sucking in lungfuls of air.

"Wight, calm down, it'll be fine." Glo said, putting his hands on his shoulders. "You'll be fine. Just sit down."

He nodded, his eyes wide. He nearly fell to his knees rather than sitting, but he remained on the floor in that uncomfortable position, clasping the oxygen tank for quite a while.

"So, what happens now?" Dorset asked.

"We wait for Vicky. We eat." Chester sighed, kicking his feet up on a table as he sat on a wonky stool.

"And that becomes are daily habit until what? We're found? We die?"

"Chill out, Dorset, nothing's going to happen." Buck said from a chair beside Berks unconscious form.

"I'm sorry?! _Nothing's_ going to happen?!" He exploded. "In case you forgot, my sister nearly _died_ thanks to your crazy idea of 'something stupid'!"

"But she didn't and we're all safe."

"Apart from Berks!" Dorset marched over to him. "She could be in a fucking coma and that's your fault!"

"Hey!" Buck stood and three inches difference worked out to his advantage. "I told her not to touch the fucking AI and she didn't listen!"

"Yeah, sure, you just wanted her to get reconnected to Alpha so she could remember everything, didn't you?!"

"No! I don't want her to remember, I don't want to put her through that again!"

"Buck, you selfish bastard, you'd put her through all of that just so she would remember you. I know you hurt every time she looks at you and doesn't know how much you mean to each other."

"Yeah, it fucking hurts but I would never do that to her!"

"Dorset, stop it!" Devon snapped. "Buck wouldn't do that, you know that. And I jumped, I missed, it was my fault. Buck saved us all."

Dorset stepped back and Buck sat down again.

"If you're gonna pick a fight, go outside." She grumbled.

"Yes, mum." Dorset groaned and she punched him.

Then, there was noise. A clatter from the back of the caves. The Freelancers did a quick head count; Buck, Berks, Wight, Glo, York, Dorset and Devon were all there.

"Damn, Vicky's quick." Glo remarked as Buck stood up.

"That's not Vicky." He said, drawing his pistols. "Wight, stay with Berks. Dorset and Devon, check the entrances. The rest of you, follow me."

Glo, York and Chester followed Buck further into the caves, weapons raised. They changed the pressure on their boots to minimum so the sounds of their footsteps disappeared. The only noise was that of their breathing.

And then, a clatter.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Came a hissing female voice from further ahead.

They picked up their paces and turned, swinging into a cavern, decorated like a workshop as a young woman just managed to pull her helmet on before snatching a pistol from the workbench.

"Oh, fuck." She swallowed, seeing Buck, her arm faltering and the pistol dropped from her grip.

"Hello, Cumbria." Buck clicked the pistols, pointing both at her head. "Miss me?"

"Shit." Was all she could say, staring down the barrels of all the weaponry that the four had.

"Five fucking bullets in my back and that's all you can say?!" He snarled, stepping forward.

Bria stumbled back, holding up her hands in surrender.

"I can explain!" She pleaded.

"You'd better start talking."

"Those AIs that the Conductor made, they were corrupt things." She began.

"Tell us something we don't know." Chester grumbled until York nudged him, letting Bria continue.

"We had to destroy them, but we couldn't get to them until they had been implanted in one of the Freelancers. You were to get the first AI, Alpha. I had to hunt you down, kill you, to save everything. Those AIs would bring the end to all we know. But I made a mistake. I didn't kill you."

"No, your mistake was not doing your fucking research!" Buck growled. "I never got the AI."

"What?!"

"Yeah, that's right. You nearly killed me for nothing, you bitch."

"But... But Alpha had been committed to surgery, to one of the Freelancers. To you!"

"No. It was Berks."

"Berks?!" She shook her head. "Oh, shit!"

"And we know what you mean about the corruption of the AIs," York said, his voice managing to calm the tension between the two. "After that, Berks went crazy. She killed three of us until we had to forcefully remove Alpha."

"See! This is why the AIs have to be destroyed!" Bria exclaimed. "What happened to her after that?"

"When we took Alpha, we took her memories." York told her.

"But, with Alpha, she's remembering." Glo added. "At least, that's what Buck thinks."

"Wait, she got Alpha back?"

"Uh..." Glo murmured as four heads turned to him.

Bria snatched her pistol off the floor and barged past them, racing back the way they came.

"Stop!" Buck roared but she ignored him.

"Don't come any closer!" Wight ordered as the black and red armoured woman stormed towards him.

"Shoot, Wight, shoot!" Buck yelled as they chased her and Wight opened fire.

Bria flipped over him and the gunfire, her boot meeting his helmet, leaving him sprawling on the floor with his gun flying from his grip. She put the pistol to Berks head and took a breath.

Memories flooded back; fighting, training, laughing. She was about to kill a friend.

Buck slammed her to the ground, tearing the pistol from her hand. That moment of hesitation had saved Berks' life.

York and Glo dragged her up and pushed her over to the chairs as Devon and Dorset raced around the corner, hearing the commotion. On recognition, the two strapped her to a chair as York and Glo helped Wight up.

"What the fuck is Bria doing here?!" Devon spat, tightening the bonds.

"I've been living here." She snarled.

"Vicky must have been delivering goods to her," Glo realised, head in hands.

"Fuck..." Wight shook his head.

"Hey, we're all in the same bloody leaky boat now guys." Bria said, unable to move. "We're fugitives, wanted by the Conductor. We're going to have to get along."

"Yeah, I might think about that when you stop trying to kill me or Berks." Buck snapped.

"Don't tempt me." She growled.

"You're not helping your case, Cumbria." Devon said, standing guard before her.

"I don't care, whatever I say, whatever I do, he's not going to trust me."

"Maybe because you tried to kill me?!" Buck yelled.

"Guys, I think Vicky's back." York said, standing near the mouth of the cave.

They moved aside, dragging the chair that Bria was tied to away from the track. When the plane stopped, Vicky jumped off and opened the hatch door, signalling York and Glo to help her unload the supplies. They did so, following Vicky as she turned to see the previous inhabitant tied to a chair.

"Aw, shit."

"That's what she said." Chester remarked, taking another crate from the plane.

Vicky tilted her head to the side, giving him a look through her visor.

"That was a literal reference by the way, not just an innuendo."

Vicky held the same expression, unchanged by his excuse.

"Hey, do you want help or not?" He said, holding the crate in the air.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't tie up people. You're all going to have to live together, you realise and she can't stay tied to a chair forever."

"It's just a precaution in case she tries to kill one of us. Again." Buck said, taking another crate.

"Again?"

"About a year ago, shot me in the back and kicked me half to death. Five minutes ago, put a gun to Berks' head."

Vicky put the crate down and stepped in front of Bria. She bent down, her finger raised accusingly with the other hand on her hip.

"Bad, Bria." She scolded. "No. Don't do that."

"Ah, bite me." She snapped.

"Well, as you're all getting on so wonderfully," Vicky stood up straight, clapping her hands, "I think I'll leave you all to it. You know, people to go, places to see."

"Uh..." Glo frowned.

"Later!" She called as Wight dragged down the last crate and she hopped into the pilot's seat.

"Is Vicky seeing anyone?" Glo asked as the plane pulled out of the tunnel and the engine grumble faded away.

York rolled his eyes as they began to prepare a meal for themselves, picking up the food packs from the crates.

"Come on, Romeo," Devon said, throwing a large pack to Glo. "You're on dinner duty."

"You're a girl, Devon," Glo said, catching it.

"Well observed."

"Do you think Vicky likes me?"

"Well, she doesn't hate you so I'd say you're off to a good start."

"Meh."

They found an electric cooker, despite Cumbria's disorientating directions and started cooking. The Freelancers dressed down, out of the armour and into their shorts and t-shirts. Devon frowned as she noticed the sideways glances from Chester and York. This was the downside to not wearing armour when surrounded by guys.

"Oi!" Dorset snapped as he caught Chester eyeing his sister as she bent over to pick up a sauce sachet from a crate.

Chester held his hands up in mock surrender as Devon and Dorset glared.

"I'm just an appreciator of a good looking woman, so sue me."

"Piss off." She snapped.

"Hey, don't get me wrong, I respect you, Devon." He said. "You are one kick arse gal, but you're also pretty fit too."

"Er, thanks, I think..." Devon made a face.

"Chester..." Dorset warned.

"Just like Bria, Vicky and Berks, they're all awesome, gun-toting, good looking gals but like I said, I'm just an appreciator."

"It'd better stay that way."

"Yes, sir!" Chester gave a cheeky salute to Dorset who rolled his eyes.

Devon mixed the sauce into the pasta-looking carbohydrate mix, stirred it, then took a tester taste.

"It's not great, but it'll do." She said, spooning it into mess tins and handing them out.

"Never did I think I'd miss the canteen food." Dorset grumbled, playing with the unattractive gloop that fell off his spoon with a splat.

"Ah, shut up and eat." Buck waved.

"What do we do about Berks?" Devon asked, leaning against the wall and looking at the poor young woman.

"I'll get Vicky to get some fluids and hook her up to it if she doesn't wake up soon," Buck said in a vacant voice.

"What if she doesn't wake up?" York asked.

"That's not an option."

"But, it's happened. Multiple times. If she is in a coma, which it bloody well looks like, she could never wake up."

"That's not going to happen. She will wake up."

"York, just shut up." Glo gently kicked his leg.

Buck turned to Berks, gazing at the body, so still and only just alive. What if York was right? What if she never woke up?

"No. She will wake up." He whispered.


	9. Amateur Actors And Gentlemen

_"So, what's on today?" Berks asked, helmet tucked under her arm as she saw Buck, leaning against the corridor wall._

_"Well, London was pretty impressed with your fight with Chester the other day, so looks like we're going head to head to see what happens when the new recruit takes on me."_

_"Head to head?" She raised an eyebrow._

_"Okay, it just sounds dirty when you say it like that."_

_"Meh, let's see how it goes and if it really is as dirty as it sounds." She winked._

_"Oooh, dayum!" Chester said, appearing from around the corner. "Berks, that is absolutely shameless flirting!"_

_"I'm sorry, is he taken?" She grinned._

_"You bet he's taken." Chester said, grabbing Buck into a reluctant embrace. "This one's mine, bitch."_

_"Ah, Manny, you know I'm always faithful to you." Buck patted his friend's helmet._

_"Piss off, don't call me that, or no more booty calls." Chester mockingly threatened, waving a finger._

_"Oh, no, poor me." Buck sighed._

_"I'll leave you guys too it, don't want to get in the middle of this loving relationship." Berks put a hand on her heart and began to jog away._

_"Yeah, stay away or I'll give you such a bitch slap for eyeing up my man!"_

_"Shut up, Chester."_

_"I'll fight you for him!" He yelled down the corridor. "You see, Buck. I've got competition. First Bria, now Berks! What's a guy to do?"_

_Berks paused. Bria again. She hadn't even met the girl and she was already playing on her mind._

_She shook her head and ridding the thought of her out._

_Bloody hell, maybe she _was_ jealous._

_"Hey! Wait up!" _

_She turned to see Buck jogging towards her as she disappeared around the corner. As he caught up with her, he slowed into a walk._

_"Hmm, Bria again, eh?" Berks grinned._

_"Ah, shut up." He laughed, shaking his head._

_"It's getting more difficult to deny it as the days go on."_

_"Buck!" A voice called from behind them. "Buck! Come baaaaack!"_

_"Shit, Chester, run!" Buck said to Berks, and giggling like school children as they raced down the corridors, Chester in their wake, calling after 'his man'._

_"You really do have some competition. Bria had better win against Chester the next time they fight for you." Berks laughed as they snapped round a corner, bouncing off the wall._

_"Chester's bullshitting." Buck returned, his arms powering him forward. "He's just a special case."_

_"I sure am!" Chester announced, standing at the end of the corridor, his arms raised._

_They screamed in surprise as they slammed into him, the three of them crashing to the ground. They fell about laughing as Chester reclaimed his 'prize', wrapping his arms and legs around Buck as the man struggled as if he was facing a boa constrictor. _

_"Gerroff me, Chester!" He yelled, unable to do anything but squirm._

_"C'mon, Chester, you can have him back after I've beaten him." Berks laughed._

_"Alright, but I don't like getting back broken toys after someone played with them." Chester said, releasing his grip._

_"Oh, so now I'm a toy to you, huh?" Buck said, as Chester got to his feet. "I'm offended, Chester, I thought we had something."_

_"Well so did I, until missy here joined us." Chester folded his arms and turned away, sticking up his nose to Berks and Buck._

_"Chester, you're a knobhead." Berks told him as she offered a hand to Buck._

_"He sure is. Cheers." Buck took her hand, and stood._

_"Now, you two get out of my sight." Chester held up a hand at them, putting his other hand over his helmet as if he was close to tears. "I don't want this to be any harder than it has to be."_

_"Is this a break up?" Berks hissed to Buck._

_"I don't know." Buck shrugged as they turned and walked away from the 'sobbing' man. "Chester was involved in amateur theatre before he was recruited. Always says if he wasn't a Freelancer, he'd have been an actor."_

_"Do we even have actors anymore?" Berks asked._

_"Honey, in war, everyone's an actor." He replied, patting her shoulder._

* * *

_The alarm sounded and Berks kicked off the wall, running for her opponent. Even though his visor masked any possible expression, she knew he wore the same wicked grin that she held._

_"Hey!" She greeted as they nearly slammed into each other, if she hadn't dropped to the floor, sliding and kicking out, knocking his feet from beneath him._

_"Hello again!" Buck answered, mid-tumble before he jumped back to his feet._

_"So, I don't think I ever got your name!" Berks said, flipping over her head and swinging her feet towards his face._

_"It's Eoin, pleased to meet you!" He returned, sending his fist flying for Berks' face before feinting and going for her stomach instead._

_"Well, you know my name," she continued, twisting out of the way before kicking at his knee which he dodged._

_"Ashlynn, right?" He paused for a moment, standing up straight._

_Cautiously, she did the same. The fight stilled._

_"Yeah." Berks held out a hand._

_Buck took it, shaking it._

_Berks flipped over him, tugging on his arm, making him stumble. As she passed over his head, she kicked at his back, sending him sprawling to the floor._

_"Wow, I hope not all your introductions go this badly." Berks sucked air through her teeth as she rolled and stood, watching Buck scramble up._

_"Not all, just a few." He said, running at her. "I should really learn not to trust a handshake." _

_"Ah, live and learn." She grinned, ducking as Buck threw a punch._

_He tried swiping her legs from beneath her but she cartwheeled out of the way. She held her fists up in a boxing stance, bobbing on the balls of her feet. Buck swung another punch so she held her arms up to protect herself but he snatched her wrists, pulling her forward. She stumbled, her palms slamming into Buck's chest, only for him to kick at her ankles. Berks fell back but found a crevice in his armour and by digging her fingers into it, she pulled him down with her._

_"Oh, Miss Ashlynn, you flatter me." Buck laughed as he looked down at Berks who lay on her back, the former on top of her._

_"You flatter yourself." She rolled from beneath him but he caught her, stopping her from getting any further. "This is going to make Chester really jealous." Berks insisted as she tried to break free from his grip._

_With a grunt, Buck jumped on her back and the winded girl cursed as he sat there, pressing her down._

_"Do I win?" He asked to anyone who'd listen as Berks struggled beneath him._

_"Count it!" A voice called from nearby._

_"One! Two!" Buck yelled, slapping his hand on the ground. "Three! I win!"_

_"Ah, you bugger!" Berks roared, kicking and squirming beneath him._

_Buck laughed as he stood, offering a hand to Berks. She didn't take it._

_"Ah, yes, the untrustworthy handshake." Buck sighed, but still kept his hand outstretched. "I won't drop you, I promise."_

_Berks grinned, taking his hand, climbing back to her feet._

_"Told you." He smiled, taking his helmet off._

_"Maybe I can trust your promises." Berks smirked, taking off her own helmet, her hand still clasped to his._

_"Start by just trusting me." _

_Her green eyes met his blue eyes. She gazed at his broad face, his sharp cheek bones and his dark, messy hair. His cheeky grin. He stared back at her elfish features, her mousey brown hair loosely tied back, strands framing her face._

_"Hey, Buck!"_

_The two snapped out of their trance and pulled back their hands as a young woman with a brunette bob and soft brown eyes came bouncing over, hers being the voice that yelled out earlier. _

_"Er, hey, Bria," Buck greeted, dazed, as if he had just woken up._

_"Nice win, hey, Berks." _

_"Hey, Bria." She smiled._

_"She nearly had you for a moment there," Bria patted Buck's shoulder. "Thought you were gonna drop in the ranks for the new recruit."_

_"I checked the board," Buck nodded. "Chester's been knocked down to number three now."_

_"Yep, and me to number four," Bria nodded to Berks. "You've made quite the impression, taking down our number two."_

_"But that was a one time fight, I can't be made number two just over that." Berks frowned._

_"Them's the rules." Bria shrugged. "Those aliens aren't going to agree to a best out of three just to get your average point score."_

_"First we're all a load of actors, and now no one has any appreciation for maths." Berks sighed. "Anything else I should know?"_

_"Yep, I've scheduled you in for another fight, against me, if you're up for it?"_

_"Sure." She nodded and turned to Buck. "Maybe you can spectate?"_

_"I'm going to kill Chester." He growled under his breath._

_"I must say, I'm a little nervous about going up against you." Bria said. _

_"Don't be, my fight against Chester was just luck, I'm sure of it."_

_"Or maybe he was being a gentleman and let you win." She turned to Buck. "Something you clearly didn't do."_

_At her raised eyebrow, Buck shook his head._

_"Bria, there's no room for gentlemen in war."_

_"There's room for actors, however." Berks piped in._

_"Yeah, but that's not the point. Berks won against Chester because she's better than him. I won because I'm better than her. End of."_

_"Wow, chill." Bria held up her hands. "I didn't mean anything by it. I hope no offence was taken?"_

_"None at all." Berks tried a smile, although was a little unnerved by Buck's hostile tone._

_"Good." She nodded. "I'll see ya later then."_

_"Cool, later." They waved as she jogged off._

_Maybe Berks was wrong about Bria. Wrong about Buck. There's a vast difference between playful flirting and a voice with a snarl. And, she could be wrong but, was he defending her, the new recruit?_

_Buck was a man full of surprises._


	10. Raids Before Breakfast

She didn't wake. She never moved apart from the steady rise and fall of her chest.

"She's needs a doctor." Bria said, Devon armed with a rifle, following her every movement.

"I don't need you telling me what she needs." Buck snapped, taking his usual seat by Berks' side.

"She's right." York said, leaning against the wall and checking his pistol. "Berks isn't gonna last long without proper medical help."

Buck stayed silent. He knew they were right. But the same thing played on everyone's mind.

How the hell were they going to get her to a hospital?

"Still nothing, huh?" Vicky said, her dark hair a mess and her clothes put on hurriedly as she stepped into the main cavern.

"Uh, no, Vicky, why are you still here?" Devon asked.

"Good morning to you too." She frowned. "Could say the same to you, you know."

"Yeah, but don't you have other contracts and-"

"Good morning, all!" Glo greeted, a big grin on his face with his hair and clothes a mess too.

"You're particularly cheery this morning." York observed.

"Yeah..." Devon narrowed her eyes. "Oh shit."

"I told you to give it a while before you followed me out, dammit." Vicky hissed and Glo shrugged.

"Well that explains a lot." Bria nodded.

"Glo, what have I said about sleeping with colleagues?" York sighed.

"Only Buck can do it and no one likes me anyway."

"Good boy."

"You realise that the only way we can help Berks is to bring a doctor to her." Vicky said, brushing her pixie cut with her fingers.

"Oh yeah, that's going to work, fugitive Freelancers, breaking into a hospital to kidnap a few doctors to help a girl in a coma." Devon shook her head. "Our bounty just goes up."

"It's not a bad idea." Buck shrugged.

"_What_?"

"It's our only option." He said, standing. "If we don't, Berks will die."

"Look, I don't want that to happen anymore than you do," Devon said, "but this is crazy!"

"And the last time you talked us into something insane, Devon nearly died and Berks is... Well, this." York waved a hand in Berks direction.

"Fine, I won't go with you." He folded his arms.

"You didn't go with us last time." Devon pointed out. "You just turned up with Berks in your arms and told us to jump off the roof."

"Yeah, well..."

"It is our only option though." Vicky stated, pulling on her flight suit. "I can take you there with a cloak over the plane, you all get to a meet up point, I'll turn it off so you know where to go, as soon as everyone's on, I turn it on again. We get away and nobody notices anything."

"Ah, c'mon are we really doing this?" Devon complained as her brother came into the cavern.

"What's up?" Dorset asked, noting his sister's discontented expression.

"They're planning a hospital raid." She grumbled.

"What do we need to do?"

"_Dorset_?!"

"Look, Dev, we're not going to get anywhere arguing with Buck."

"Says you," Chester said, walking in. "You had quite the opinions the other day after the Command infiltration."

"My sister nearly died, I wasn't going to just let it go."

"What if I nearly die again?" Devon asked.

"Then I'll kill Buck." Dorset smiled patting him on the shoulder.

"I'll keep that in mind." Buck said, raising an eyebrow.

"So, the plan is, I take you lot to the hospital-" Vicky began but Buck cut her off.

"Not all of us." He said. "Someone's got to stay behind to look after Berks."

"I'll do it." Devon said. "There'll be no chance of me dying like an idiot and then making Dorset kill you and I've got to stay here for Bria anyway."

"No, Bria comes with us." Buck declared.

"What? Why?"

"I can't leave here here. If there's a chance to kill Berks, she'll take it."

"Looks like we're all going after all." Bria grinned and nudged Devon who gave her a deadly glare. "Us girls stick together, right?"

"Shut up."

"Wight and Glo will stay here and the rest of us will head up."

"Why do I stay behind?" Glo demanded.

"We can't have you distracting the pilot now, can we?" Vicky blew him a kiss and he grumbled, reluctantly catching it and folding his arms like a sulking child.

"Right, let's get a move on then!" Buck clapped his hands together and ushered everyone to get dressed.

"I'll get the plane, be back in a mo!" Vicky mock saluted and jogged off.

Wight was the last to wake and so, sleepy eyes and bedraggled, he wandered into the cavern where everyone but Glo were suiting up and checking the ammo for their weapons.

"Uh... What...?" He yawned.

"Don't worry about it, mate." Chester said. "Go back to bed."

"Okay." He nodded and wandered back the way he came.

"Take care of them both, okay?" Buck said. "We've already got one comatose, I don't like the chances of having two."

"Gotcha." Glo nodded as Vicky pulled in with her plane and the Freelancers boarded.

"Later!" They called and Glo waved the off.

The plan rippled and vanished in the sky. The engine faded to nothing but a breeze as it neared the hospital.

"I picked up some lab coats." Vicky said to Buck who sat beside her in the front of the plane. "They're in the back."

"Disguises instead of armour? I don't like those odds."

"You're going to look a hell of a lot less suspicious if you look like everyone else there. They'll be looking for Freelancers. Not doctors."

"Fine." He said.

Buck climbed into the back of the plane, calling the rest of the team to dress in the lab coats and scrubs provided.

"Should I change or am I being stupid just asking?" Bria said bitterly, practically pushed aboard by Buck.

"Yep." He said and she tilted her head, unsure of what he was saying yes to. "As in, 'yep, you're being stupid'."

"Well thanks for clearing that up." She sighed.

"No problem. You'll be staying with Vicky when we go in."

"So I'll be being babysitted?" Bria grumbled.

"I think the correct term is 'babysat' but yeah, basically."

"Oh, joy of joys..." Bria grumbled as she stomped up to the cockpit and away from the other Freelancers.

"Where does Vicky get this all from?" Dorset questioned, adjusting the stethoscope around his neck after he rummaged around the outfits in a conspicuous crate.

"I think she deals in the black market." York said.

"That does not surprise me." Devon shook her head. "Hey, I think these are a little small, is there anything left?"

The guys looked up to see Devon in tight fitting scrubs, trying and failing to cover the skin she was showing.

"Uuh..." Chester mumbled, eyes fixed on her.

"Chester!" Dorset punched his arm and he snapped back to his senses.

"No, there's nothing else." Buck shook his head. "Dorset and York got the lab coats and Chester and me got the male scrubs."

"Damn." She frowned, tugging the top of the shirt up, only to reveal her toned belly.

"Chester..." Dorset warned as he noticed his eyes slyly drifting to Devon's body.

"Sorry."

"Right, we're nearing the hospital!" Vicky called back. "Get ready to disembark!"

The plane came into land and the Freelancers slipped out, making their way into the hospital grounds. Vicky had provided ID cards, attached to their coats and scrubs, so they swiped the cards by the door and simply walked in. It was going well.

"Okay, me and Chester are gonna grab that doctor there," Buck pointed to a blonde haired young man, chart in hand, strolling by the patients. "Devon, get that guy," he signalled to an older doctor with glasses and greying hair. "Dorset and York, get that girl." Buck nodded to a tall woman, a pen tucked behind her ear as she smiled and chatted to a patient, a dress under her coat.

"Aw, damn, I wanted the girl." Chester groaned.

"Shut up." Buck said.


	11. Killing Blow

_Cumbria rolled her shoulders as Berks stretched her arms. With a nod to the spectators' booth, three bleeps sounded before one loud long one, signalling the start of the fight. They thundered towards each other as long metal poles began to rise out of the ground with a hiss. The gap between them shortened at a rapid rate and once they were within range, Bria clasped a pole and swung herself around Berks, slamming her boots into her back. Berks tumbled but recovered quickly, rolling and jumping back to her feet, spinning as Bria ran at her. _

_Back in training, before she became a Freelancer, Berks had found hiding among the scenery worked best toward her advantage, but now she realised that tactic wasn't always available. Thin metal poles were a tough object to hide behind._

_She kicked off the pole nearest to her and used the momentum to kick off the pole on the opposite side, working her way up to the top. Berks practically skipped on the tops of the poles, keeping a perfect balance. She remembered Buck's talking advice but decided against it. Bria was probably used to it. It wouldn't surprise her. She was immune if she had spent as much time around Buck as Berks suspected._

_Instead, she took a path where the poles became less organised in rows and columns, a route where Bria would have to focus on as she ran below. The plan worked; Bria slowed so as to not run smack into anything and her attention of opponent above her was no longer a priority. When Berks saw this, she flipped, leaving her balancing act as she slammed into the ignorant form below. Bria was strong and managed to throw Berks off but she wasn't finished. Berks jumped a kick that Bria sent out before returning one of her own. She feinted, going for the head which Bria defended, before smashing her boot into her chest. Bria flew back, cracking into one of the metal poles which snapped against the force._

_Bria stood and grasped the pole in her hands._

'_No weapon combat just turned into one sided weapon combat_,_' Berks thought bitterly, raising her fists in a defensive position. 'Alrighty then. That's fine._'

_Bria lunged and Berks flipped backwards, hoping to catch her opponent's helmet with her toe. Bria had seen this move plenty of times and tilted her head back, Berks' foot missing her completely. The pole twirled in Bria's grasp as she stepped ominously towards Berks as she jumped to her feet, taking equal steps back. It reminded her of those baton-twirling cheerleaders on American teen football films, marching with a sparkling grin as they danced and pranced in support of their favourite team._

_But this 'cheerleader' wore armour instead of a miniskirt and had a helmet to mask her sparkling pearly grin. Not that she would be smiling anyway. Berks was gonna make sure of that._

_Seeing an opening, Berks struck Bria's side with an extended hand and retraced it before the pole could strike her back. Bria winced, losing her pattern, and fumbled with the pole, giving Berks another opportunity to kick at her opposite side. It caught her perfectly and Bria rolled to recover but Berks was already on her, tackling her to a passive position. They wrestled, Berks desperately trying to pin her opponent to the ground. She was managing, until Bria tugged the pole from beneath her and whipped it around, catching Berks on the side of the head. She released her hold to adjust her helmet but that was all Bria needed to scramble to her feet. Berks was thrown off and landed on her side with a grunt. She caught sight of the severed pole loosely hanging in Bria's hand and sent a well-aimed kick from her horizontal position. The pole flew from Bria's grip and as she snapped her head towards the direction of the weapon, she didn't see Berks stand and run at her. _

_Her boots smacked against her chest, once again sending her flying. She hit the ground and Berks kicked at the nearest pole to her, snapping it and snatched the makeshift weapon. Bria raised her head and shifted her weight to stand before Berks brought down the pole with a 'thwack!' against her head._

_Bria's head fell back and she lay still on the floor._

_"Oh, shit!" Berks tore her helmet off and spun with a panic-stricken face towards the spectator booth. "I think I killed Bria!"_

_She dropped the pole as she fell to her knees, lifting up the prone form. Her index finger tapped against the side of Bria's helmet and the readings displayed on her visor._

_"Thank God," Berks breathed, realising she was just unconscious._

_"Hey, so you've secured second position, Berks," Buck's voice crackled through the speakers, "but we may have to charge you for damage to Freelancer property."_

_"Are we talking about the poles or Bria since if we still have lawyers I think she might sue," Berks sucked air through her teeth, putting her helmet back on as she lifted Bria up over her shoulder. "I'm gonna take her to the infirmary."_

_"Sure, then come back to get the recording."_

_"Will do."_

_Berks jogged down the corridor, trying to avoid the other Freelancers as she headed for the infirmary. Those she did pass said nothing but cast strange looks in her direction regarding one of the best Freelancers hanging off of the newbie's shoulder._

_She rested her on a plain white bed once she reached her destination and called over a nurse to see to the unconscious Freelancer. He nodded and took off her helmet to reveal a nasty bruise on her forehead._

_"She took quite a hit," he grimaced, placing a cold cloth over it before it swelled up._

_"Yeah..." Berks shrank away and thanked the nurse before returning to the training room._

_She ascended the steps to the spectator booth, quietly and slowly as her legs were tired from the fighting and the running back and forth. She made a mental note to not knock out any more opponents._

_"-Chester, I've told you, I'm just not interested in Bria anymore." _

_Berks stopped as she heard Buck's voice come from within the room. He hadn't heard her._

_"What, so a pretty girl comes along and you just forget about Bria like that?" Berks heard Chester click his fingers. "You were trying to impress her for ages, since she joined- what was it, last year?"_

_"Yeah, but that's the thing. If my mind can change that quickly, I don't think Bria was right for me."_

_"Buck, dude, who cares if she's 'right' for you, she's hot, bang her, end of."_

_"Come on, Chester, you know I'm not like that."_

_"Yeah, you're one of those crappy 'relationship' guys."_

_"Can you please stop doing that quotation mark thing with your fingers?"_

_"Fine, so you're into Berks now, yeah?" _

_"Yeah, I guess. She's really good looking and a hell of a fighter."_

_"Oh God, you're not into that kinky fighting sex thing, are you?"_

_"What? Chester, seriously, how many times do you think one thing when I say another?"_

_"Like seventy five percent of the time."_

_There was a silence._

_"Okay, eighty."_

_Again, silence._

_"Ninety."_

_Buck still said nothing._

_"Fine, a hundred percent I literally say the first thing that jumps into my head after you say something."_

_"You're such an idiot."_

_"Yeah. But what if another pretty girl comes along after Berks? Will you drop her like Bria?"_

_"Okay, to start with, I'm not 'dropping Bria'-"_

_"Now you're doing the finger thing-"_

_"Whatever, I'm not dropping her since I'm not dating her. And... I don't know. I guess it'll have to happen before I can find out."_

_Berks swallowed._

_Oh crap._

_She had to admit, she was really attracted to him and it was nice to hear that relationships still existed instead of the standard one night stands._

_Berks pretended to walk up the stairs, making her feet heavy before she stopped at the ajar door and knocked. The men coughed, breaking their conversation and called her in._

_"Take a look," Buck stood, presenting a tablet, showing a video of the fight._

_She cringed at the successful moves Bria made, slamming into her back, making her stumble, smacking her with that pole. She subconsciously rubbed her cheek. _

_"It's not a fluke," Chester joined, pointing out Berks' pivotal moment as she knocked out Bria, "you're really good. You deserve the number two position."_

_"_Oh, shit!_" The muffled recording exclaimed. "_I think I killed Bria!"

_Chester and Buck laughed and Berks covered her face in embarrassment as they paused on her panicked expression, standing over the unconscious body._

_"Shut up." She mumbled but found a grin as Buck caught her eye._

_"I'll file this," Buck said, laughter still in his voice as he saved the video in Berks' documents, "show London later."_

_"Oh, please cut out that last part!" She begged, making a grab for the tablet._

_"Nope, not a chance!" He grinned, holding it out of reach._

_"You bastard," she pointed and folded her arms in defeat, "I would have deleted it if it was you."_

_"Really?"_

_Berks paused._

_"No. I'd share that shit everywhere."_

_"Ah, you're made for each other," Chester put a hand on his heart as he began to retreat out of the spectators' booth._

_"Chester..." Buck growled and curled his hands into fists. His mischievous friend squealed at the threat and darted out._

_"Chase me! Chase me!" He called and Buck snarled under his breath as, with a smile, tore after him._

_Berks laughed as she watched them run like schoolchildren until their shouts faded away with her laughter and that ever lingering silence settled around her._


	12. House Call

The supplies cupboard was quiet but Devon could still hear the steady beep of the life support machines nearby. When footsteps approached, she glanced to the door to make sure it was her target that entered. It was, so she turned, facing the shelves, pretending to reach for something at the top.

"You need a hand, dear?" He asked.

"Oh, yes please." She smiled. "I just can't seem to reach the bandages."

The doctor stretched and picked up a pack of bandages, passing them to her.

"Thank you very much." She grinned, batting her eyelids and playing with her blonde ponytail. "I like tall men with good manners, they just make the world a better place."

"I'd do anything for a lady such as yourself." He winked and she giggled.

"Oh, you're such a gentleman." She bit her lip and tugged slightly on her shirt, letting more of her cleavage show.

The doctor swallowed.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, nurse... Reid." He said, reading her name tag.

Devon blinked.

"Oh, yeah, hah, nurse Reid, that's me." She said nervously, forgetting she had someone else's identity.

"Was there anything else you wanted?" His voice was strained.

"Maybe..." She looked up at him through her long eyelashes.

Devon stepped closer to him, a mere inch in between their bodies.

"Meet me outside by the security station." She whispered. "The back room's empty in five minutes."

"Uuh... Of course. Yes. I will." He breathed as Devon winked and left the supplies cupboard.

* * *

"Right, I'm going on my lunch break." The doctor said, glancing at her watch as she stood up straight from leaning on the counter.

"I'll see you later then, Ellie." The nurse smiled.

"Yep, see you in a bit."

Dorset and York followed the woman, inconspicuously hanging around the corridors as she stepped into the locker room, picking up her bag and headed outside. She didn't look behind her, so didn't see the two men in white cloaks shadowing her.

Dorset pulled the needle from his pocket.

* * *

"Doctor! Doctor!" Buck burst from a room, calling the young doctor over.

"What's wrong?" He asked, his eyes glancing to his chart.

"The patient, he's going into cardiac arrest."

The doctor rushed into the room and halted when he realised no noise was coming from the heart rate monitor. Mostly because there wasn't one. There wasn't a dying patient either. There wasn't even a patient.

"What the-"

Chester slammed the door as Buck injected anaesthetic in his neck. The doctor's eyes went wide before he fell to the floor.

"Ayy!" Chester held up a hand for a high-five but Buck just stared at him. "Don't leave me hanging, bro."

"Just help me lift him up."

"Uh, you're no fun." He grumbled, taking the doctor's legs and dragging him onto the hospital bed. They pulled the sheet over him as if he was a deceased patient.

"Call it!" Chester called as Buck opened the door.

"Time of death, eleven, twenty three hours." Buck said begrudgingly as they pulled the bed out into the corridor.

"Damn it! He fought so hard!" Chester exclaimed as they passed by other patients, doctors and nurses who all have sympathetic expressions.

"Chester, shut up." Buck hissed.

"Why, God?!" Chester called out, attracting even more attention. "Why must you take this one?!"

"_Chester_!"

They cleared the doors and took the prone form outside.

"If I wasn't a Freelancer, I would have been an actor." Chester grinned.

"You're an idiot."

"Yeah."

* * *

Vicky waited in the plane. She kicked her feet up on the dashboard and sighed. She glanced out the window to see the 'inappropriately dressed for the workplace' Devon ducking into the back room of the security room that bordered the hospital. While she was inside, she swiftly disabled the cameras inside and outside the hospital, before Vicky noticed a greying doctor, his hands clasped over his crotch as he walked with quite the pace in the direction Devon had taken.

Following him was a woman, not walking in the same direction, a bag over her shoulder, unaware of the two men that flanked her.

Out of the hospital doors came a hospital bed, a sheet over the prone form, pushed along by Chester and Buck, the latter looking like he wanted to kill the former.

Vicky watched on as Devon, her blonde ponytail swinging, dragged out the motionless body of the aged doctor, setting him down with his back leaning against the wall. The female doctor soon followed him as York and Dorset yanked the needle from the back of her neck, without so much as cry of pain.

As Buck and Chester pulled the bed over to them, they lifted the two bodies over the third and turned, trying to find the plane before someone else found them.

"Right, Vicky." Chester said to himself. "Where are you..."

Devon held up her arms, doing a thumbs up and the pilot flicked the switch. The plane shimmered into sight and the engine started as the Freelancers raced aboard.

Then, all was quiet again. Anyone who happened to look outside at that moment would have seen a carrier plane, ugly and grey, appear out of nowhere with two doctors, two interns and a nurse, pushing a hospital bed with three bodies on it. Then, like it had never been there in the first place, it all disappeared.

"Good work, Vicky." Chester patted her shoulder. "I hope Cumbria's behaved?"

"Good as gold." Vicky grinned at the grumbling young woman in the passenger seat.

"I hate you." She growled.

"Yeah, well next time, don't try to kill my friends." He held up two fingers. "Three strikes and you're out, bitch."


	13. Set Up

_Berks slumped down on the canteen bench and smacked her head down on the table. Devon stopped chewing and looked over her lunch at the miserable young woman. She carried on eating until the miserable young woman let out a distressed whine, muffled by her face pressed into the table._

_"Whaaat?" She rolled her eyes. _

_"It's been six months!" Berks cried, turning her head on its side, still maintaining a discontented pout._

_"And an entertaining six months it's been." She replied, her attention mostly on her food. _

_"Buck hasn't said anything. He doesn't like me. I'm going to die alone."_

_"Oh, you don't know that," Devon scoffed. "He's spent his whole life with a gun in his hand. He doesn't know anything else but war. A cute girl comes along, he doesn't know what to do then."_

_"Unlikely." Berks sighed._

_"Aw, hun," Devon gave other woman a pitying look. "You have such a crush on him!"_

_"Shut up!" Berks hissed, alarmed at her raised voice. "No one needs to know, okay?"_

_"Yeah, yeah, okay."_

_"Who has a crush on who?"_

_Berks jolted as Chester practically threw himself onto the seat beside Devon, his hands slammed down on the table as he looked between them._

_"Devon!" Berks cried between her teeth._

_"Ah ha! Berks and... Buck! You have a crush on Buck, don't you?!"_

_"What? _No_! Shut up!" Berks snarled defensively._

_"Oh, that's a shame since he has a crush on you too." Chester sighed, pretending to check his nails._

_"Really?" She perked up, a slight smile pulling at the edge of her mouth._

_"Ah ha!" He repeated, his hands slamming down again as he pointed a finger at her. "You _do_ like him!"_

_"So what was that for? He _doesn't_ like her?" Devon made a face._

_"Meh, I dunno, maybe." He shrugged playfully, an ambiguous grin alighting on his face._

_"Maybe? Wow. Well done, Chester." Devon rolled her eyes._

_"Please, don't tell him!" Berks begged, aware of how red her face had become._

_Chester stood and pretended to pull a zipper across his lips, signalling 'my lips are sealed'._

_"Hey, where are you going?" Devon called after him as he made his way out of the canteen._

_"Off to tell Buck!" He yelled._

_"You dick!" Berks spat and leapt to her feet as, like a startled animal, Chester bolted, giggling as he ran._

_"Come back!" She shouted, pushing past other soldiers and nearly knocking over lunches as she raced after him._

_"Children." Devon sighed, head in hands. "I'm surrounded by children."_

_"Chester!" Berks bellowed down the corridor. "You complete and utter prick! Where are you?!"_

_'_Okay, think_.' She clenched her fists and began to pace. It was childish, but it would be mortifying if Buck found out she liked him. _'If he has gone to tell him, he'd be in Buck's room.'

_She burst into a sprint, winding her way through the seemingly endless corridors. Once she reached the living quarters she slowed, scanning the area for the little shit._

_There! dressed in his armour, arms folded and facing Buck's door. His foot tapped impatiently, waiting for his friend to answer it._

_"Dickhead!" Berks cried and threw herself at him._

_The figure spun but her force had already met him, sending him sprawling back. She straddled him, bunching her hands into fists and dealing out the punches, her sheer power threatening to crack his visor._

_"I! Will! Break! Your! God! Damned! Face!" She screamed between grunts._

_Chester tried to claw her fists away but to no avail. He held up his palms to break the impact but it only resulted in the backs of his gauntlets smacking into his face._

_"Fucking hell, Berks!" He cried and she stopped._

_"Oh, crap." _

_It wasn't Chester._

_There was an exaggerated gasp behind her and she turned to see Chester, in Buck's armour, grinning triumphantly._

_"So this is why you wanted to swap armour then," Buck groaned, pulling off Chester's helmet and tossing it beside him, still lying down, "so I could beaten up by Berks?"_

_"Shit, I'm sorry, Buck," she bit her lip, "I thought you were Chester and-"_

_"And why would you want to beat me up, hm?" Chester flashed a wicked grin._

_"You compete dick." She growled and tried to stand, but the awkward position she had been in did not make ascending and easy process. Berks slipped and fell forward, her face an inch away from Buck's._

_"Uh..." He breathed._

_"Eh..." She trailed off._

_"I'll be off then!" Chester turned on his heel and walked away, taking long strides._

_"I'm sorry! Sorry!" Berks stumbled over her words as well as her movements as she attempted to clamber her way off of Buck, an ungraceful manoeuvre when both of them are in heavy armour._

_"No problem, just maybe warn me next time you want to beat me up." He grinned, sitting up as she stood._

_"I... I thought you were Chester."_

_"What's he done now?"_

_"Don't worry, it's stupid." She held out a hand and he took it, pulling him up._

_"Maybe we should get him to get you going again, next time we're in the field." He laughed. "Get them all dressed up in his armour."_

_"Guaranteed massacre." She joked._

_A brief silence followed where the two, a grin on their faces, looked at each other like they were listening to conversation. Then they realised how close they were._

_"You've still got my hand." Berks remarked, the first to break eye contact._

_"Oh, yeah," he blinked, but made no attempt to retract his own._

_"Am I not getting it back?" She raised an eyebrow but couldn't help the growing colour to her cheeks._

_"Not yet." He said and took her other hand, clasping it in his._

_Her heart pumped, loudly and quickly, faster and more deafening than it had at the most perilous of times. Their lips met and it was like her heart would burst. When the contact was broken and his hands broke apart from hers, the blow of realisation smacked Berks in the chest._

_"Shit." She sighed, humiliated, turning away._

_"I'm sorry, I just thought-"_

_"Chester told you I liked you and now you're pitying me." She shook her head. "Wow, I'm an idiot."_

_Buck frowned._

_"Berks, Chester didn't tell me anything."_

_"What?" She turned around, puzzled._

_"I kissed you because I like you, not because I pity you."_

_"What?"_

_"How are you not getting this?"_

_"_What?_"_

_Buck sighed and rolled him eyes. He stepped forward and took Berks by the waist, pulling her towards him and kissed her again._

_"Now, do you get it?" He asked, pulling away._

_Berks, as red as a tomato, took a breath and nodded._

_"Yeah," she grinned breathlessly, "yeah, I got it."_


	14. Project Cain And Abel

The doctors woke up, one by one. It was funny how each of them held that panicked expression within the first few seconds on consciousness. Their eyes darted about the cave and their gags made a quickened concave and convex shape as they hurriedly sucked in air and breathed it out again.

"So, what now?" Chester asked as Devon, Dorset, Buck and him stood before the doctors.

"We make our deal clear." Buck said, then focused on the doctors. "Right, so this is how it's going to go. We have a comatose patient that we need you to treat. Once our pilot brings back the supplies you need, you will get up and attend to her. If she dies under your care..." Buck pointed to the cave mouth that led to a sheer drop. "...there's the door. Do I make myself clear?"

The three doctors nodded, eyes wide in terror.

"Good."

The plane pulled in and Vicky jumped out, beckoning Dorset and Devon to help her unload the medical supplies. Carefully, they retrieved drips, life support machines, a defibrillator and all sorts of tubes and pouches filled with artificial nutrition.

They untied the doctors and led them, guns to their backs, to Berks. The female doctor stepped forward.

"Tell me what happened... Please." She said, analysing the comatose form.

"She's been... Infected with an AI." Buck told her. "This is the second time it's happened."

"Did she undergo surgery?"

"No, that was done the first time. This time, she just... She just touched it."

"What happened the first time?"

"She went crazy. Killed three people. The AI was forcibly removed."

"Is it the same AI?"

"Yes."

"Ah."

The female doctor pulled a thin torch from her pocket and pushed open Berks' eyelids.

"Oh, my." She breathed.

"What?"

"Her eyes are red. Well, I expected a colour, but not red. It must be Alpha."

"It is."

"Not only that, her pupils are all over the place. It's dilated, it's not, it's round, it's triangular, rectangular-"

"Alright, we get it, can you fix it?" Buck snapped and she jumped, remembering her life was at risk.

"I... I don't know." She beckoned over the other doctors who gave equally perplexed expressions. "It's her second infection of Alpha and the AIs sort of work like a virus. The first time, they can be treated and removed but the body can develop an immunity to it. We believed the AIs had been destroyed so we made no provisions to treat second infections."

"What?" Devon gaped. "So... So you can't help her?"

"It doesn't look like it." She shook her head.

Devon raised her automatic rifle.

"Look _harder_." She growled.

The three doctors turned away and began to set up the drips and life support technology to make sure Berks wouldn't slip away in her coma. Devon lowered her weapon.

"Okay, what's our next course of action?" Chester asked. "We've infiltrated Command, got ourselves into quite a mess, kidnapped a few doctors, pretty standard week in all. So, what's next?"

As if to answer his question, Vicky returned to the group, holding an old looking box, wires spilling over the edge.

"This is what you asked for," she said, presenting it to Bria.

"Since when did attempted murderers get presents?" Devon asked as Bria nodded a thanks, taking the box from her.

"Since I got paid for them," Vicky replied, then turned to Bria, "now, it may be a bit crappy, it's second-hand after all, but it'll do the trick."

"What is this?" Buck demanded as Bria knelt on the floor, setting up what was seemingly a monitor and a bunch of wires.

"Gimme that file you picked up at Control," Bria made a gesture, not looking at Buck, "c'mon I know you grabbed something before you got out of there. I know you well enough to guess you didn't leave empty handed."

"Actually, I did." Buck folded his arms and glared. "I had other priorities."

"Oh, you've got to be kidding," she turned, looking up at him and rolled her eyes, "bloody hell..."

"I got something though."

They turned at the voice as young Wight held up a small drive.

"So that's what you were doing," Glo nodded, "honestly, I thought you were downloading some porn for later."

"Seriously, Glo?" York put his face in his hands. "And they say I'm a liability, well done, kid."

Wight grinned, his bright green eyes flashed as he actually got recognition for doing something right.

"Now hand it over," Bria repeated and Wight put the file in her hand. "Just so we're clear, there had better be some confidential files on here and not hard-core porn, alright?"

Wight nodded, his messy red hair bouncing.

"Good."

Bria pushed the drive into a slot and the screen lit up, numbers and letters scrolled up and down, side to side at an alarming rate. Once the device had adjusted, the screen slowed and the file opened.

"What's 'Project Cain and Abel'?" Devon asked from over her shoulder.

"Wow I have no idea but let's not look at it now, I think I'll save it for later," Bria replied sarcastically.

"Just read the damn file," Buck snarled, growing impatient.

"Yes, sir," she rolled her eyes but did as she was told, however, not aloud.

"Oh, shit." Bria's eyes widened as she read, her animalistic disposition fading as she adopted an expression of panic. "I... I was right."

"What? What?!" Buck unfolded his arms and tried to get a good look at the screen as everyone had been crowded around it.

"Okay so you know the story of Cain and Abel?"

"The story from the Bible where Cain killed his brother Abel, yeah?" Dorset said to Bria and she nodded.

"Well think of it like this. The Freelancers are Abel and the Freelancers with AIs are Cain." Bria glanced from face to face, each holding a similar expression of disbelief and fear. "The Conductor built the AIs for the Freelancers. To kill the Freelancers. He wants us all dead."


	15. Only The Strong Prevail

_Dating? Nah, that sounded too childish._

_Going out? Uh, no, were they in middle school or something?_

_"What about just, 'in a relationship'?" Buck suggested as they lay together on his bed. With only a blanket covering them, he had his arm around her, unconsciously playing with her tousled hair._

_Berks barked a slight laugh and he turned with a puzzled expression to face her._

_"What?"_

_"Remember Facebook? It sounds like we're updating our relationship status." _

_"Ah, the days of social media." He shook his head._

_"So, does this mean you're my boyfriend?" She grinned, turning her body so that she lay on his chest._

_"Only if you're my girlfriend." He replied, kissing her for the umpteenth time._

_"Deal."_

_The intercom buzzed and Buck groaned, his spare arm stretching to the microphone._

_"Yeah?"_

_"Hey, Buck, it's Durham." The voice came crackle and muffled through the speaker by his bedside. "Everyone's wanted in the training hall. No armour, just gym wear. London wants to talk to us."_

_"Gotcha. Thanks, Durham, see you there."_

_"Cool." _

_With a click, Durham was gone._

_"Whaddya think he wants?" Berks asked, climbing out of bed and picking up her clothes._

_Buck shrugged and stretched. They decided against showering as if gym clothes were needed, they'd be showering later on. Berks kissed Buck and left to get her clothes, telling him she'd meet him in the hall. After the door slid shut, Berks leant against it, her head tilted back and she let out a laugh._

_It had happened so quickly. First, they were just confessing attraction, a childish crush. Next thing, they were making out up against the white washed corridor walls before stumbling into his room, tearing off each other's clothes. The sex was amazing, it had been a long time since she had felt as good as that. _

_But that's not why he kissed her. It wasn't a one time thing. He cared about her. A lot. He made that very clear._

_She changed into her gym wear as soon as she reached her room and then jogged out again, barely giving the door enough time to slide shut._

_The Freelancers had all gathered together, murmuring amongst themselves with Sheriff and London facing them at the front. She soon caught sight of Buck in the crowd, taller than most with dark hair and broad shoulders that made him easy to spot._

_"Hey, babe," she whispered in his ear and slipped her hand into his before kissing his cheek._

_"Babe?" He grinned. "I could get used to that."_

_Suddenly, there was a high pitched squeal behind them and their hands sprung apart. Berks spun to see Devon, her hands clasped over her mouth, her eyes wide._

_"Uh..." Berks couldn't really find the right words._

_"You GUYS!" She clapped her hands and jumped up and down, giggling like school girl._

_The two exchanged a glance and turned back to the front, just in time for Chester to push through the crowd to them. Before greeting them, he narrowed his eyes and stared between them, his face screwed up like he was trying to decode a cipher or solve a puzzle._

_"What a lovely glow to your skin you both have," he noted, saying it like it was something from Little Red Riding Hood. Then, his face lit up with realisation. "Holy crap. You had sex."_

_"How did you get that from that?" Berks made a face, confused and slightly paranoid in case Chester had developed the ability to read minds._

_"I'm psychic." He smiled._

_"Devon's mouthing 'they had sex' behind us, isn't she?" Buck sighed._

_"No!" Chester gasped, offended that his unnatural powers had been disregarded._

_Berks turned and Devon, her hands still clapped over her cheeks, stopped mouthing and broke into a smile, a smile that young children make when they've been caught._

_"Maybe." Chester shrugged. "Yes."_

_The conversation was cut off by London calling the room to order, his voice echoing about them like a speaker had been placed in every possible place in the hall._

_"I'm sure you're all aware of our ranking board, displaying the most efficient and skilled Freelancer agents we have. The top three places are currently held by Agents Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Manchester. Today is the time where you can challenge them and try to work your way up the board."_

_All eyes glanced to the top three and Berks swallowed. Just them against everyone else? She didn't like those odds._

_"This is to ensure that we have the very best Freelancer, soon to be implanted with a, for a lack of a better word, device, that will speed their performance, sharpen their skill and increase their power. For all intensive purposes, this will make our top Freelancer into the top Freelancer. Others will follow and undergo the same treatment. Soon, all the Freelancer Agents for the British Legion will be the most powerful, strongest and agile soldiers in colonised space, due to the help of artificial intelligence, the AIs."_

_"I've heard of these AIs," Buck whispered. "The Americans had them."_

_"What happened?" Berks murmured back._

_"They were all based off of the original, Alpha, then split into fragments, Beta, Epsilon, Omega, Delta and such."_

_"It's all Greek to me." Chester shrugged and Berks shook her head._

_"How long have you wanted to say that?" She sighed._

_"Literally ever since I heard of the AIs, like a year ago."_

_"So will we have the same?" Berks returned her attention to her boyfriend. "Splinters of Alpha?"_

_"Maybe not," Buck shrugged, "most likely the Conductor will have changed a few things from the Americans project, made it better ya know?"_

_"Agent Buckinghamshire, if you're quite finished," London said in an exhausted tone._

_"Yes, sir," Buck lowered his head, "sorry, sir."_

_"Will you and Agents Berkshire and Manchester step forward please," he waved a hand and the three of them moved through the parted crowd, out onto the vacant ground. "This will be a no weapons fight, but if any of the other Freelancers are feeling particularly... creative, I'll allow it."_

_"Crap," Berks hissed, "we haven't got our armour and there's every chance someone's gonna whip out a weapon?!"_

_Chester swallowed as all the Freelancers started to limber up, rolling their shoulder, jogging on the spot, punching a fist into their other hand._

_"C'mon, it'll be fun," Buck grinned, standing in front of them, "what's the worst that could happen?"_

_"Fire, humiliation, serious injuries, destruction, possible coma, a lot of blood and death." Berks said, listing off all the scenarios that were on her mind._

_"I think that pretty much covers everything," Chester nodded as London stepped back, giving the signal to advance._

_"Let's do this!" Buck roared as the training hall transformed into a battle field, the two sides thundering towards each other._

_Buck led the charge, head bowed like a stampeding bull. It was Durham that he struck first. It seemed like he was locking horns like a stag until he clutched Durham's shoulders and flipped over his head, his feet crashing into Hampshire. Chester barrelled through, roaring like a rugby player as he elbowed and shoved anyone close enough. Berks took an alternative approach and dropped to her knees, sliding under Derby's legs. Buck glanced over to see his girlfriend snatch at Derby's crotch, completely disabled as he doubled over with a cry of excruciating pain._

_Buck swallowed before punching Dorset._

_The three ducked, swung and bobbed like boxers, taking out their fellow comrades. It wasn't easy and it took a while, but they managed to work through everyone. Well, nearly everyone._

_"Huh, three against one is hardly good odds," Bria said, stepping over the unconscious form of Staffie, surrounded by groaning Freelancers rolling around in the floor if they weren't limping away._

_Something was different about Bria. She was stronger, more vicious, like she had a personal vendetta against Berks. Chester worked it out first._

_"Oh, you don't want to get in the way of a green-eyed gal," he sucked air through his teeth, pulling Buck away as Berks stepped forward._

_"Not three of us," Berks said, spitting blood, "just one."_

_Cumbria wasn't just jealous of being knocked down from the top three. If so, she would have gone after Chester, being the bottom rung of the short ladder, but there was something else. She had seen Berks slip her hand into Buck's. She knew. And she didn't like it._

_"Wow," Bria chuckled, bending her knees and walking sideways, holding up her arms as Berks followed her movements, "you'll just fuck anything that moves won't you?"_

_"Just because you can't, you're going to pull that shit on me Bria?" Berks laughed. "I expected better of you."_

_"Sorry to disappoint." She snarled._

_"This has really got nothing to do with you," Berks snapped back, moving in a circle, carefully analysing her opponent; every weak spot, every favoured side, she picked up on._

_"I knew him long before you came on the scene, bitch," Bria said through gritted teeth, "we trained together before we joined the Freelancers. You don't have any right-"_

_"I have every right!" Berks exclaimed. "Buck likes me and I like him. I'm sorry you missed out Bria, but he's made his choice. It's not up to you who he fucks!" She paused, lowering her guard as her aggressive snarl softened. "Wait, what do you think this is? Are we fighting over him?"_

_"You bet," Bria growled. "It's about time for a rematch."_


	16. We're All In This Together

Buck sat in the all too familiar silence, cross-legged and frozen, staring out into the grey sky from the cold floor of the mouth of the cave. All he'd known had been thrown up in the air like confetti, unable to catch before it's lost in the wind. He thought he'd been fighting for the right side but instead all he was, with the rest of the Freelancers, was a pawn in the Conductor's game. Berks had been a test subject that had gone wrong and now everyone was suffering for it. It wasn't that the AIs were unstable, they were programmed to kill the Freelancers. Those that were killed, Bristol, Durham and Kent, were the weakest Freelancers so the AI infected Berks took their lives. According to her programming, they weren't worth going under operation to have their own AI. And only the strong will suffice. The Conductor wanted brainless soldiers to do his bidding and the rest to die. End of.

"Hey, Buck?"

The still form of Buck jolted as he turned, uncomfortably, to see Bria. He groaned as he shifted and found his legs had gone to sleep. She sat down beside him, inhaling deeply.

"So..." She sucked air through her teeth. "How you doing?"

"How do you think?" He snapped.

Bria bowed her head and chewed her lip awkwardly.

"I'm sorry," Buck sighed, "it's just... It's been a lot to take in. Project Cain And Abel was a real kick in the teeth."

"Yeah and things Berks-wise aren't looking good either." She said quietly. "The doctors have said there's nothing they can do."

"I won't let them pull the plug on her." He growled.

"You may not have much of a choice." Bria couldn't even look at Buck. She knew how hard this must be for him to hear. "It's looking like she's giving up. The life support machine might not be able to keep her going for much longer."

He bowed his head, pushing the palms of his hands into his eyes. Buck let out a heavy sigh and blinked before his eyes could start watering.

"You know, all this time, when she first had Alpha, I thought Berks was still in there." He said quietly. "When she killed Durham, Bristol and Kent, it wasn't just because they were in the way, but because they were the worst three Freelancers. She was doing what she was programmed to do."

"Why do you think Berks still had a voice?" Bria asked. "If she was still in there, she wouldn't have done that."

"I know that now," he sighed again. "After she killed them, I found her. It was just me and her and she could have killed me, but she didn't. Since that day, I thought it was because she was still in there and because she cared for me, she spared me. Now I know it was just her fucking programming because I was in the top three."

"Look, Buck," Bria turned from watching the ugly sky to the man beside her, "I want you to know, I'm really sorry. For all I've done. You were good to me, back then. And I've been nothing but a piece of shit to you and Berks."

"No kidding," he scoffed aggressively and Bria looked away.

"If she does die, promise me you won't do anything stupid."

Buck didn't say anything. He stood, wincing as he put pressure on his unfeeling legs before he left Bria alone.

"You can't just walk away from this!" Bria called after him.

Pausing in his tracks, Buck turned. His face was dark and his fists were clenched.

"Well I'm sure as hell not walking towards it." He snarled before he spun on his heel and marched away.

* * *

"Poor Buck," Devon said quietly to her brother as they sat in the terribly quiet cave, watching the troubled man sit beside the unconscious woman.

"Mm hm," Dorset nodded. "We're all in a bit of a crap situation though too."

"Just a bit?" She scoffed. "We're not just heading down shit creek without a paddle, we are flying in plastic plane without a pilot and without engines above a volcano."

"Pretty lengthy metaphor but I think you hit the nail on the head," Dorset sighed, then frowned as he realised he'd followed up his sister's line with another metaphor.

"Berks isn't gonna be around much longer and God knows what that'll do to Buck." She shook her head. "And if we're found we'll all be court marshalled by the Conductor who either wants us to be zombies working for him or dead. I haven't even been able to talk to anyone back at base."

"If they're even still there." Her brother added. "Remember what Wight said? Some of them went missing shortly before we tried to invade Control."

"Yeah," Devon nodded, unblinking as she stared into space. "I was friends with Staffie. She could get really angry, scared the shit out of some people. She liked to mess with some of the soldiers. She never got mad at me though, said I might knock her out if she surprised me or something."

"I think that was 'cos she had a thing for you though," Dorset gave a slight laugh.

"What? No, Staffie's straight," Devon said, frowning as she faced her brother.

"Not from what I saw," he grinned. "Very keen to spend her time around the female shower rooms."

Devon paused as her jaw slacked in realisation.

"Oh, crap."

"And the penny drops," Dorset smirked before realising he'd used yet another metaphor. Funny how often they appear in conversation.

"How long do you think we'll last?" Devon asked, her voice suddenly quiet and ominous.

"Wow, way to put a downer on things, sis," he scoffed but at her serious expression, his usually cheerful features matched his sibling's looks. "I don't know. Depends on Berks, I guess. When she goes, Buck will probably go mental. He's been clinging onto that memory of her for so long. She's been taken from him before and he's barely recovered from that. Now that it looks like she's gonna go for good, I don't know what he'll do."

"It'll be something crazy, that's my guess." Devon nodded in agreement. "He'll probably go after the Conductor, try to kill him before he's killed himself."

"Mm," her brother murmured, "he'll have a hard job finding him though, considering we've never even seen his face. His only interactions towards us are through London and Sheriff. I seriously doubt Buck's met him."

"Yeah, but he'll give it a damn good try anyway. Those of us who don't follow him will probably just die here, in this cave, once we're found."

"Nah, I don't think any of us will die here," Doset said quietly, watching Buck sit in mournful silence beside the prone form of Berks.

"No? Why not?" Devon frowned.

"Because we'll all follow him." He replied. "You know that. Whatever Buck does, wherever Buck goes, no matter how crazy, we follow."

"He knows how to work a crowd, how to get a team together to support him."

"It's not just that, we trust him. We'd do whatever it takes to help him do what he has to do. You, me, Buck, Glo, York, Bria, Berks, even Wight, we'd all go into battle, fighting like heroes. We're a team. We're all in this together."

Devon didn't know whether to smile or mournful ponder the meaning of the word 'team'. Was it a pact of friendship? Or a death sentence?

As the conversation died between the siblings, that all too familiar silence that had long outstayed its welcome, lingered like a bad smell around the cave.

"We're all in this together..." Devon hummed under her breath.

"I swear to God, Devon," her brother snapped, "you carry on singing High School Musical and I will punch you in the face."

"Right, sorry."


	17. Catfight

_Bria leapt forward as Berks recovered, flipping backwards from the attack. _

_"Shit!" Buck bolted forward, escaping Chester's grip. _

_As Berks landed, Bria swung her legs out to catch her across the jaw but the form of Buck burst into the midst of the fight. As her kick landed in his side, Buck gasped in pain as he dropped to his hands and knees. Realising her target wasn't who she had intended, Bria stumbled back, eyes wide. _

_"Crap, I'm sorry, ah-!" She started as Berks hurdled the grumbling figure and sent a punch soaring into Bria's face. _

_Bria flew back, arms and legs flailing in the air as her face contorted, preparing for the impact against the hard floor._

_"Are you alright?" Berks said, kneeling beside Buck as he groaned._

_"Yeah," he wheezed, "just a bit winded."_

_"C'mon, up you get," she sighed, helping him up._

_"Hey, watch-!" Buck started as Bria crashed into them, knocking them both back over._

_"Ooh," Chester winced, watching from the sidelines._

_"You're really not helping your case, Bria!" Berks growled as Bria pinned her down._

_Bria ignored the remarks and just sent punches flying towards Berks' face. The first one hit her cheek but she dodged the following two. By the fourth, Buck had stood up._

_"Enough!" He roared, throwing Bria off._

_"Can we- ah-" Chester made a signal for the fight to stop and as the horn blared out across the hall, they stopped._

_"Agents Manchester, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire," London said as he stepped down from the spectator booth, granting each of the three with a neutral, congratulating expression, but the fourth, he gave a look of indifference, "and Cumbria."_

_"Sir," they nodded, standing to attention, forming a line._

_"You've all proved yourself worthy of the top three positions, despite your intentions," he cast a raised eyebrow towards Bria who bowed her head. "I can't allow personal differences to go involved in this. We are a team, we all fight with and for each other, not against."_

_"Wasn't that the whole point of this-" Chester started until London stopped and slowly turned back to him. "Right, not the point, yep, of course..."_

_"What I'm saying is that this was an exercise to prove strength and agility, power and skill. Not to fight over Agent Buckinghamshire."_

_Berks, Bria and Buck reddened while Chester grinned._

_"And Agent Manchester," London turned on his heel and Chester's grin vanished, "you did not act when your teammates were being attacked."_

_"Well, they seemed to have it covered-"_

_"That would not be acceptable in a real life scenario." He snapped a reply. "And speaking of real life scenario," London turned back to Berks and Bria, "if this was an army operation, you two would be suspended for your behaviour."_

_"Sorry, sir," they chorused, their voices humble._

_"However, as this is a Freelancer operation, you have just proved to be brutal fighters. The positions will stay the same, with the addition of a fourth place secured for Agent Cumbria. I will make the leadership board to accommodate up to five Freelancers, Agent Devon being at fifth position."_

_Bria found a small smile slipping into her face, despite her humbled expression._

_"But with the exception of Agent Buckingham, you'll all be on armour cleaning duty for the next three weeks."_

_Chester, Bria and Berks chorused a groan until London's eyes flashed and they silenced._

_"Is that clear?"_

_"Yes, sir."_

_"Good."_

_London turned and approached the side of the hall as the medics arrived, tending to the beaten Freelancers._

_"Agents Durham, Bristol and Kent, step forward," London directed his sharp, commanding voice to the three brutally bruised men, nursing their wounds._

_Durham had a medic follow him forward, still in the stages of wrapping a bandage around his head, while his eyes struggled to focus on the superior Freelancer. Bristol was biting his lip and his eyes were watering as he stumbled forward on a leg that stuck out at an awkward angle. Kent... Well, Kent was unconscious._

_"You performed abysmally today," he said, his tone hostile, "you three will perform _all_ cleaning duties for the following three weeks."_

_"Yes, sir," Durham and Bristol responded, one voice dazed and disjointed, the other contorted in agony._

_"And tell Agent Kent when he's awake," London had his upper lip curled up in borderline disgust of the men before he marched out of the hall._

_"Are you alright?" Buck asked, approaching the disgraced Freelancers. "Sorry about the kick, Durham, I didn't mean for it to be so hard."_

_"I'm fine," Durham tried a smile, staring right past Buck, "should have been looking where I was going."_

_"Uh," Chester frowned as the medic took her hands away from Durham's head only for the man to wobble and stumble like his head weighed the same as a dumbbell. When he secured his head, he gave another reassuring smile, staring right past them still._

_"How many fingers am I holding up?" Bria asked, raising a hand with three fingers extended._

_Durham's eyes widened and swallowed uncomfortably._

_"Uh, Bria, I don't want to alarm you," he breathed, "but I think you should see the medic."_

_"What? Why?!" She exclaimed, checking her hand, but finding nothing._

_"You have nine fingers," he squeaked before his eyes rolled back and the two medics working behind him dropped their instruments to snatch up the collapsing man._

_"Ouch." Chester winced, watching Durham's legs fly up in the air comedically before lying still with the rest of his body._

_"And, ah, sorry about the leg," Berks added to the shaking Bristol._

_"It's..." His hands hovered over the exposed bone as another medic pulled a splint from his kit. "It's alright..." Bristol was deathly pale and he swallowed back vomit as he looked at his disfigured limb._

_The four left the three suffering Freelancers to the care of the medics as they followed London out of the hall. The two young women kept aggressively silent before Bria made her leave and the uncomfortable lack of sound disappeared with her._

_"Wow, that was..." _

_"Really something." Chester finished Berks' sentence._

_"Yup." She sucked air through her teeth._

_"Okay, half the Freelancers are either unconscious or too busy nursing their wounds to know what happened between Bria and Berks, so it's going to stay like that, alright?" Buck spun around on them._

_"Alright," they nodded as Buck pointed a finger at them both._

_"Now go and clean my armour," he grinned, taking advantage of their cleaning duties._

_"Oh, fuck you," they groaned but did as they were told, dragging their feet along the ground in passive protest. It was going to be a long three weeks._


	18. Surgery Prep

_As the days before the surgery dwindled, Berks found herself growing increasingly restless. There was a strange feeling, in the back of her mind, something that scared her, but she didn't know what it was. She was worried Alpha would change Buck, make him into something he wasn't. But she calmed herself, reassuring herself that it was safe and wouldn't harm him in the slightest. Yet that strange feeling remained._

_For yet another night, she found trouble sleeping. She lay on her side, her back facing Buck as she stared blankly at the wall, as if waiting for morning. Her brain was working over time, playing out every possible scenario of a failed surgery. She didn't like her nighttime brain. It was doing things to scare her._

_She resisted the urge to jump as Buck groaned quietly behind her and moved, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. Berks pretended to sleep as her boyfriend stood and left the room, the door opening with a faint 'whoosh'._

_As the footsteps died, Berks sat up and climbed out of bed. She followed Buck's trail down the corridor and stepped as silently as she could._

_Where the hell was he going?_

_As she heard the two voices in quiet conversation, she froze. Berks remained still, her back against the wall as she listened to the hushed voice around the corner._

_"Bria, you know I can't let you go." Buck's voice was cold and commanding, but there was a hint of a desperate plea to it._

_"I have to, Buck," came the determined reply. "Something's really wrong with the AIs. I don't like it."_

_"You'll see it's fine. I'll have the surgery a day after tomorrow and you can be the first to see me try out Alpha."_

_"Wouldn't you rather have your girlfriend be the first to see that?" Bria replied bitterly._

_"Bria, just leave Berks alone, she has nothing to do with this."_

_"She has everything to do with this," she snarled, "I could have been a contender to get an AI but Little Miss Elite Fighter gets promoted and knocks me down on her first week."_

_"It's not just about that."_

_Bria was quiet for a moment._

_"No," she finally replied. "Buck, I did really like you and I was crushed when you completely skipped me for Berks."_

_"I'm sorry."_

_"Don't be, it's not your fault you didn't like me." Her voice was quiet. She was in a state of humble humiliation._

_"Bria, before Berks was around, I did have a thing for you," Berks could tell he was smiling, trying to make his friend feel better. "If Ashlynn never turned up, who knows what would have happened."_

_"Yeah, huh, imagine that," she sniffed. "It's weird, you using first names." Bria was quiet again for a while. "You really love her, don't you?"_

_Berks felt her chest tightened and her breath fail her as she heard the reply._

_"With all my heart."_

_She couldn't breathe. There had always been that horrible feeling that what she felt for him was unreciprocated and one day he'd just drop her. It seemed he loved her as much as she loved him._

_"Do me a favour," Bria began, "if you still have any feelings for me, at all, just do this for me."_

_"Bria, you're one of my closest friends, I'd do anything."_

_"Let me go."_

_"Bria-"_

_"You promised me, Buck."_

_Berks heard his heavy sigh before he spoke again._

_"Fine. I trust you know how to override the security locks?"_

_"Yep, got my imaginary hacking hat on."_

_"That's so sad," he chuckled but then as the laughter faded, a strange mournful air settled over them. "Will I see you again?"_

_"I... I don't know." She quietly answered._

_"Then, I guess this is goodbye." He said softly._

_"Bye, Buck," Berks heard her armour press against her boyfriend's clothing in a farewell embrace._

_"Bye, Bria."_

_"Oh! I nearly forgot," there was a sound of rattling, like pulling on a dog tag chain, "they were my parents. I think you need them more than me."_

_"Thanks, Bria." Buck said and Berks desperately wished she could see through walls so that she could know what Buck was given._

_"Do you remember my name, my first name?" Bria asked._

_"It's Susan. Remember mine?"_

_"Eoin." She could hear the smile in her voice. "Bye, Eoin."_

_"Bye, Susan."_

_As the light armoured footsteps set off at a jogging pace, Berks vanished, back to Buck's room. Before he returned, she resumed her sleeping position and managed to catch sight of him quietly climbing back to bed before she squeezed her eyes shut. She tried to will her body to succumb to the unconscious state she was mimicking but the conversation she had overheard was playing too much on her mind. It was no revelation to her that Buck used to like Bria but it was a strange thought to imagine how things would have went if she hadn't turned up. Buck also loved her, with all his heart, if what he said was true. And what had she given him? But what really got at Berks was how anxious Bria was. She knew something wasn't right about the AIs, so, she was leaving. She felt that she was in danger. And if she was in danger, wouldn't everyone else be too?_

* * *

_When the alarm woke Berks the next morning, she was surprised to find she had actually slept. With all the thoughts bouncing around her head it was a miracle she had managed to find rest from it all._

_"Morning, babe," Buck said, rolling over and kissing her forehead._

_"Mornin', hun," she replied, smiling despite her sleep sealed eyes. "Do I have to get up now? Uh, please just let me have a lie in, I'm exhausted."_

_He grinned at her display of a groaning teenager on the morning before school before the smile faded in favour of a pained expression._

_"I, uh, I need to talk to you," Buck's voice was terribly mournful, the same as it had been the night before._

_"What about?" Berks rubbed her eyes and sat up._

_"The more I think about the AI thing, the less I'm convinced that it works," he said, his feet over the edge of the bed as she stared at his toes. "I've heard... I've heard it's not safe."_

_"Then don't go through with it."_

_"I have to, if I don't, they'll get someone else, you, Chester..."_

_"Speak to London," Berks crawled over beside him, wrapping her hands around him. "If you're worried, maybe he can sort it out, get someone other than us to test it out."_

_"I am the test subject though." He sighed. "If it's not me, it's someone else. And I'd rather it be me than anyone else."_

_"So... Why do you need to talk to me?"_

_Buck leaned across to his drawer and picked up something. He took Berks hand and pressed the cold metal of the object into her palm. When he retracted his hand, she gasped._

_A gold ring, a wedding band, sat shining in her hand. This must have been what Bria gave him._

_"It's not conventional, but think of it as a promise," he said, "I love you, Ashlynn and if anything happens to me, know that this doesn't change anything."_

_"Eoin, don't say that," she began to cry, glancing between the ring to her boyfriend's face. "I love you, I love you so much but don't talk like this is the end."_

_"It's not, it's not, I promise," he said, a faint smile on his face as a tear joined it, slowly making its way from the corner of his eye down his cheek._

_"I love you," she nearly sobbed, pushing her ring onto Buck's ring finger._

_"I love you," he mirrored, doing the same to her._

_Berks threw her arms around him, weeping into her shoulder, half out of pure love for the man, half out of terror for the future. Bria's suspicions couldn't cause Buck to overact without reason. He was scared too. He knew something wasn't right as well. And only time would tell what that would be._

_The night before the surgery, Berks was as restless as ever. As her partner slumbered peacefully in preparation for the change the following day, she tossed and turned and played with the ring on her finger. Those images in her head haunted her and played with her emotions. All she could see when she closed her eyes was Buck contorting in pain on the operating table, the man she loved going crazy as the AI twisted his mind and corrupted everything he ever knew. She couldn't live with that._

_Buck didn't hear her climb out of bed and approach the table beside him. He didn't hear her lift the dog tag chain and replace it with her own. Only wearing a tank top, shorts, Buck's dog tag and her ring, she strode down the corridors, past all the Freelancer owned rooms to the medical wing where the surgeons were prepping the room for the next day._

_"Excuse me," she said, knocking on the door, "it's an emergency."_

_"What can I help you with?" The lead surgeon asked, frowning as he saw the concerned expression on her face._

_"I need you to perform the surgery for Alpha now, can you do that?"_

_"We can, although it's earlier than we anticipated." He said, waving for the other surgeons as he pulled on a pair of gloves. "You are Agent Buckinghamshire, right?"_

_Berks held up her partner's dog tag as confirmation before she was ushered onto the operating table._

_"Why do you say this is an emergency?" He asked as Berks lay down and the surgeons rushed around her with one standing by her head, a gas mask in their hand._

_"I need to do this now, before I stop myself." She answered, staring at the ceiling. _

_The surgeon nodded and signalled for the woman beside her to press the mask over the suspected Agent Buckinghamshire's face. The last thing Berks saw was the ceiling of the operating room, the glare of the overhead light nearly blinding her as the people working around her bordered her vision. The last thing she thought of was of Buck, Eoin, asleep, oblivious to what was happening. She knew he was scared of what would happen after what Bria said and now Berks had freed him of that. If all went well, she could just explain her fear and Buck would get Bravo or she would have Alpha removed and given to him, however this thing worked. If it didn't go well... Well, this is why she was doing it. So whatever happened, happened to her and not Buck. Because she truly, deeply, without a doubt, loved him._


	19. Agent Buckinghamshire

_The first thing Buck woke to was an empty bed and panic. He called out her name, hoping she had just gone to the bathroom after waking up early but the terrible feeling in the back of his mind told him he was wrong._

_Snatching the dog tag from the bedside table, Buck left his room in the condition he was in and raced down the corridors, calling her name, with no reply._

_That was when the alarm started._

_Freelancer agents in their pyjamas burst out of their rooms, racing down the corridor in a stampede._

_"What's going on?" Buck called out as he saw Chester barge his way through the crowd to him._

_When Buck caught Chester's eyes, he saw the uncomfortable expression on his face._

_"Chester, what's happened?"_

_"It's..." He tried as they followed the crowd. "It's Berks."_

_Buck swallowed._

_"She went to get Alpha last night."_

_"What?!" Buck exploded, stopping in the corridor, causing several Freelancers to crash into him. "But Alpha was assigned to me, everyone knew that. She couldn't have got it unless-" he suddenly grappled at his dog tag as he realised what had happened. His stomach flipped as he saw the name on the dog tag around his neck._

_"Agent Ashlynn Berkshire," he breathed. "Shit, she took my place, Chester!"_

_"Buck, calm down, she's fine-"_

_"Then why the fuck is the alarm going off?!"_

_"Fire drill?"_

_"Look, everyone's going to hall," Buck said, pointing in the direction of the stream of Freelancers._

_"Yeah, that's the first port of call when the alarm goes off."_

_"Well that's not where she'll be," Buck patted Chester on the shoulder as he darted off in the opposite direction, "come on!"_

_"Fucking AIs," Chester muttered._

* * *

_The first thing they saw when they reached the medical wing was a pool of spattered blood by the door to the operation theatre. Neither men had weapons and so they tentatively stepped over the mess and into the room. The lights above flickered like something from a horror game and it wasn't until Chester stepped on the metal tray did they see the bodies. The clatter attracted their attention to the scene. Three surgeons lay dead, all three within an arms reach of some sort weapon; a scalpel, a hypodermic needle, a drill._

_The blood wasn't all from the surgeons. The majority of it came from the table. The table where Berks surgery was performed._

_"Fuck," Chester breathed, "what has she done?"_

_"Alpha." Buck managed, his voice strangled at the grotesque sight. "It was Alpha. Not Berks."_

_"The AI did this? We need to stop this, shut the programme down before anyone else gets hurt."_

_Buck nodded as he left the way they entered, following small drops of blood down the white washed corridor._

_"She must have struggled. She's been hurt." He observed, pointing out the trail._

_"Let's just hope Alpha isn't as strong as her. If she can still control herself, maybe she can stop it."_

_"Let's hope." Buck echoed as the silence chilled them. In nothing but shorts and a tshirt, the men felt vulnerable, no weapons and no armour. If she surprised them, they were dead._

_A shadowed form made them jump before they realised it was another still body._

_"Oh, God," Chester muttered, approaching the corpse, "it's Bristol."_

_Buck dragged his hand down his face, feeling more afraid than he ever had in his life. The woman he loved was infected with a dangerous AI, possibly the strongest of the bunch and was hunting them down. Bristol had been on cleaning duty, still on the bottom ranks and carried out this chore as punishment with his leg still set in a cast. His cold, still face was eternally etched with a startled expression before his throat was ripped open. Probably couldn't believe what was happening._

_The men continued, fists raised in a boxing stance in preparation. They knew they wouldn't last long, but they weren't going down without a fight._

_"Help..." A voice wheezed behind another turn in the corridor and they burst into a run, chasing down the voice._

_Kent sat slumped up against the wall, clutching to a mop and bucket for support. He, like Bristol, was on cleaning duty in the early morning. Another target._

_"Fuck, Kent, what happened?!" Chester asked, kneeling beside the man as blood spilled from the tear in his stomach._

_"Berks..." He coughed blood, red stains spattered Chester's face and t-shirt. "Sorry."_

_"Don't worry about it," he winced, wiping it off._

_"Something's wrong with Berks, she had... She had a saw. Cut me open."_

_"Take Kent to the training hall, Chester," Buck ordered, "that's where everyone will be, see if you can help Kent while you still have time."_

_Chester nodded and lifted the bleeding man up._

_"Her eyes..." Kent choked before he was carried away. "Her eyes were red..."_

_"Oh, that's promising," Buck muttered as the silence returned with Chester and Kent long gone._

_He continued the trail, most likely the blood of Kent and Bristol mixing with her own on the gruesome path._

_"No! Berks, stop! You don't know what you're doing!"_

_The voice of Durham shattered the chilling silence and Buck burst into a sprint. He spun around the corner, nearly slipping on blood as he saw the figure, her back to him, sharply slam the saw into Durham's skull. The man screeched until the serrated metal met his brain and the man fell silent, collapsing to the floor._

_Buck could barely breath. He stood there, watching the blood drip from the saw, pour from Durham's head and trickled down the murderer's shoulder._

_"Berks..."_

_The woman turned, her teeth bared and her chest heaving. She had a constant scowl as if the men and women she killed were annoyances to be maintained. She looked like someone having a _really_ bad day._

_As she glared, Buck could see what Kent has said. Her eyes were red, bold, glaring red._

_"Berks, if you're in there, listen to me," he slowly raised a hand in surrender and took a step towards her, "you have to stop this, please."_

_Berks growled and raised her saw as Buck advanced. He froze, still with his hand raised._

_"Ashlynn."_

_Berks blinked._

_"Put the saw down, please," he begged, "you've killed people."_

_Blood has stained her tank top, that belonging to her victim splattered the front and her own blood stained from her shoulder down to her belly. Dried blood clumped just about her left collar bone. Where Alpha had been implanted. It seemed Alpha had activated as soon as it was attached instead of waiting for the slit to be sealed up._

_"Ashlynn, listen to me-"_

_Before Berks could move, a shot ripped through her right arm and she dropped the saw. She spun, ignoring the blood that pooled and dropped onto the floor as London and the rest of the Freelancers raced in, armoured and armed, their weapons raised. As more shots began to fire, Buck roared for them to stop. He threw himself to the groan, holding his hands over his head._

_When he looked up, the Freelancers were frozen in a state of shock. Berks held up a shield of energy before her, blocking the fire._

_But Buck could see the exertion on her face as the shield wavered. As it vanished, she bowed her head, her legs bent as she breathed heavily. The Freelancers recovered from shock and opened fire once more but the form of Berks vanished. Open mouthed and slack jawed, they glanced about, trying to find her. They hadn't expected Alpha to be able to do this._

_"There!" Dorset yelled and they spun to see where he pointed._

_Berks knelt, blood pouring, sweat dripping, heart pounding. She raised her head and looked at her comrades with pained, red pupils. As she panted, Buck cried out for them to lower her weapons. Only Devon did as he commanded. London stepped forward and raised a pistol. He fired one shot into her chest as she fell back, unmoving._

_"NO!" Buck roared and pushed the Freelancers aside to get to her. He fell to his knees and lifted her limp head onto his leg and hovered a shaky hand over where London had shot her._

_"Agent Buckinghamshire, don't panic, that was a high dosage tranquilliser. She's not dead."_

_"What..." Buck could barely breath. "What do we do with her?"_

_"Take her to surgery. We'll get new surgeons to remove Alpha. The AIs are too unstable and must be destroyed."_

_Buck nodded and lifted up the prone form. The other Freelancers went around cleaning up the mess left behind by the rogue AI while London and Devon followed Buck to the medical station and laid Berks down on bed._

_"Buck?" He turned to see Chester stand behind him, blood covering his hands. "Kent didn't make it."_

_The four of them raised their heads to the bed not to far from Berks'. A white, blood stained sheet covered what was Kent._

_"What happened to Berks?" He asked tentatively._

_"The AI changed her. She went crazy..." Devon said. "You're lucky it wasn't you, Buck."_

_"Lucky isn't the word I'd use." He said bitterly._

_"Agent Buckinghamshire, why don't you take a walk, get some air," London suggested, noting the pained expression on the man's face as he watched over the barely-breathing woman._

_"Yeah, I think I'll do that," he nodded, giving a lingering gaze over Berks._

_"Take a break, buddy," Devon put a hand on his shoulder, "I'll keep an eye on her."_

_"Cheers, Devon," he tried a smile as he patted her hand. "I won't be long," he said, taking backwards steps for the door, "take care of her."_

_"We will." Devon nodded as the medics rushed over._

_Buck took one more glance at the woman he loved before she disappeared behind a curtain._

* * *

_Buck jumped out of the mongoose and left it at the bottom of the hill. He took heavy steps as he ascended the slope, holding an automatic rifle instead of his preferred pistols. Everything had changed, everything felt so wrong. He stood at the top of the hill, looking out over the landscape, once inhabited by all manners of creatures._

_Taking off his helmet and dropping it to the ground, he pulled the dog tag from around his neck and stared blankly at it._

_She shouldn't have done that. She shouldn't have taken his place, knowing the risk. But she did it anyway. She did it because she loved him._

_Suddenly, the air changed. Buck could feel the eyes burning into the back of his head. Stupidly, his helmet lay at his feet and it would not protect his head from six feet away. He knew if he made a move to get it, whoever, whatever was watching him would kill him to moment he moved._

_He kicked out, catching the helmet on his toe and snatching it from the air as he jammed it on his head and spun, rifle raised._

_But the silence remained. No shots rang out, no bellowing cries to surrender, nothing. Frowning, he lowered his rifle._

_The first bullet narrowly missed his spine, followed by four more, slicing through his back. Buck roared in agony, falling to the ground. The shock was nearly as bad as the pain. Nothing should be able to pierce the Freelancer armour but... Freelancer weaponry._

_With watering eyes, the sight before him was blurry, but he could make out a figure standing above him._

_"I'm sorry, Eoin," said the voice, "but I have to do this. Alpha can't be allowed to exist."_

_Then a boot connected with his shoulder. Buck roared louder as the pain tripled. Another kick and another kick pounded into his body and Buck gripped to that dog tag in his gauntlet tighter than his will to remain conscious._

_The silence found him first. His own screams faded and then the darkness followed. When everything faded to black, Buck was sure it was the end, sure he was dying._

_And when you wake up in a hospital bed attached to a drop with five holes in your back where bullets were, you sure as hell wish you _were_ dead._

_Chester had followed him, just in case he did something stupid. But stupid found him. Bria, unaware Berks had taken his place, had shot at Buck in the hope to kill Alpha. But all she got was one pissed off Freelancer._

_"Are you sure it was Bria?" Devon asked from his bedside with her brother and Chester standing behind her._

_"I'm sure. Not many people know my first name. And if it wasn't you," he turned to Chester, "and it wasn't Berks, the it had to be her."_

_"Not many people know anyone's first name," Dorset pointed out._

_"And besides, I could vaguely see her amour, red and black, and I heard her voice. It was her."_

_"That bitch," Devon snorted, "I knew she was trouble."_

_"She knew Alpha was dangerous. She thought I had it and tried to kill me so she could kill Alpha." Buck groaned. "She didn't even check in case Alpha had been reassigned or if it hadn't even gone into surgery."_

_"Nothing personal, just business," Chester quoted with a grin but failed to get any smiles in response._

_"For a girl who used to like you, it looks like her motives outweighed her feelings for you," Dorset said._

_Buck frowned._

_"How did you know Bria liked me?"_

_Devon reddened and squirmed uncomfortably as all eyes turned to her._

_"Sorry," she shrugged, "it was juicy gossip."_

_Buck rolled his eyes and crashed his head back into the pillow._

_"Uh, I just want to die," he moaned._

_"Not _that_ many people know about it," Devon insisted._

_"No, it's not that," he grimaced as the drugs began to wear off and the pain in his back increased, causing shooting pain through his spine, "I hurt all over, one of my best friends just tried to kill me and the woman I've promised to be with for the rest of my life has just killed a bunch of surgeons, three Freelancers and is now under surgery to have a corrupt AI removed if it doesn't kill her first."_

_"It's been a rough day," Devon nodded._

_"I'll say," her brother added, sucking air through his teeth._

_At that moment, London joined them, his quiet superiority subdued as he stood, hands clasped, behind Chester._

_"Agents Manchester, Dorset, Devon, Buckinghamshire," he nodded a greeting to each Freelancer, "how are you all?"_

_"Shaken," Devon replied._

_"Ditto," Dorset said._

_"Kinda freaked out to be honest," Chester answered._

_"And I personally am in more pain than I think is clinically legal," Buck grimaced, trying to sit up._

_London waved over a nurse and with needle to a tube, Buck breathed a sigh of relief as the morphine injection soothed his burning back._

_"That's better, thanks."_

_"I wanted to let you know," London resumed, "Agent Berkshire has just come out of surgery. She'll be placed in a room just down the hall."_

_"How is she?" Devon asked. "Did they get Alpha out?"_

_"The surgery was a success. She should be recovering but as this is new scenario no one could have anticipated, only time will tell if she truly recovers. I expect the surgeons will have more information for you."_

_"Can we see her?" Chester questioned._

_"You may, but you'll have to leave before she wakes." London answered. "She woke after the surgery, asking where she was. It may confuse her if you're all there. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must attend a meeting with Agent Nottinghamshire to discuss these... Events."_

_London turned on his heel and marched away from the group. With a signal from Devon, the three helped up Buck from the bed and still dressed in a hospital gown, slowly made his way down the hall._

_The room would have been silent were it not for the beeping monitor and the scratching of pen to paper of the doctor by the foot of Berks' bed._

_"How's she doing?" Devon asked as Buck was helped into a chair. She knelt on the other side of the bed, fondly brushing the hair out of her face like an adoring sister._

_"As expected, slowly but surely recovering," the doctor said with a slight smile._

_"That's good, right?" Her face held neither an expression of joy or anxiety._

_"Physically, yes that's good," the doctor's smile faltered, "mentally..."_

_"Oh, shit..." Dorset rubbed his face, "if she remembers what she did..."_

_"She won't, she woke earlier before we put her back out. She didn't know she was a Freelancer, thought she was still a recruit." The doctor explained. "When we removed Alpha, it took her memories with her."_

_"Memories of the Freelancers?" Chester exclaimed._

_"Memories of us?" Devon held a hand to her mouth._

_"Memories of me." Buck whispered._

_"I'm sorry," the doctor bowed his head, "she won't remember any of this, any of you."_

_"Oh, my God," Devon put her head in her hands, her elbows pressing into the mattress like a mourner by a deathbed._

_"Shit," Chester groaned, pacing back and forth three steps, the full amount of space he had in the small recovery room._

_Buck said nothing. He sat in silence, his eyes fixed on the wall. As tears began to fall from his eyes, the other four turned his way._

_"Let's... Let's leave them," Devon sniffed, wiping her own eyes and shepherding the doctor, Chester and her brother out of the room._

_The beeping monitor faded into the silence and Buck dragged his clouded eyes from the wall to the woman he loved. Her eyes were closed like she was sleeping, her lips slightly parted. He used to love rolling over in the morning, before the alarm went off, watching her ruffled hair and her chest rising and falling. Even that bit of drool that revolted her when she woke made him smile. He'd laugh as she'd hold her head up from the pillow then squawk as her hand or elbow made contact with the drool patch and withdraw it rapidly, causing her face to smack into the pillow without a support, resulting in further disgusted squawking. As he'd laugh, she would grumble with a little smile, bringing up the edge of her lips, before smacking him around the head with the aforementioned pillow. A childish pillow fight would ensue, only ended by one on top of the other or the alarm, whichever came first. Usually, it was the former._

_This memory did not make Buck smile. She didn't look like she was sleeping. She didn't look like that same woman, mumbling in her sleep, waking with a smile as she saw his face. If it weren't for her chest rising and falling, if it weren't for the bleeping monitor, he would have thought she was dead._

_She may as well be. _He_ may as well be._

_Things would never be the same. If she never knew he existed, she couldn't love him. If she never knew she had been a Freelancer, she would never know she had such friends. She would never know she was loved as much as he loved her._

_Holding back a groan, Buck pushed himself up off the chair and onto his feet. The pain from his heart triumphed over the pain of his back. He wondered if the morphine worked on heart break._

_His dog tag had been removed, either prior to the surgery or after, most likely remaining in a plastic box in an office. He couldn't give hers back, waking up as a recruit wouldn't make sense with a Freelancer identification tag._

_But there was something else._

_Buck gently lifted her left hand and removed the ring from around her finger. It symbolised a promise. A promise he couldn't keep._

_He heard the footsteps approaching and stop behind him. Pressing her ring into the palm of his hand, he left her hand splayed over her heart as if she was feeling her own heart beat and her chest rise and fall._

_"So, what now?" He asked London without turning around._

_"She'll be taken back to recruitment camp, probably a new one so she won't be confused by the old and the new. They'll make a good enough story that she'll believe."_

_"Will I see her again?" His voice was monotone and cold._

_"Probably. She is a skilled fighter. Most likely she will be reassigned as Agent Berkshire in the coming months."_

_"But she won't remember me. She won't remember any of us."_

_"No, she won't."_

_"Then I don't think I want her coming back." He squeezed the ring in his hand, the metal was warm and biting into his palm. "I don't think I could live with that."_

_"And what exactly would that be? A lie? A ghost?"_

_"I'm not quite sure. But whatever it is, it feels like shit. It feels like hell. Like the worst pain I could ever imagine."_

_"I can't begin to empathise," London put a hand on his shoulder._

_The beeping from the monitor grew louder and sharper, tearing mercilessly into the cold silence between their words._

_"We should go," London said. "We can't be here when she wakes."_

_Buck nodded and gripped London's arm as on unsteady legs, they made their way out of the recovery room. At the doorway, Buck paused and turned back to the nearly conscious woman. It was the last time he'd see her for a long while. And when he did again, she didn't know who he was or what she was to him._

"Buck?"


	20. Wakey Wakey

"Buck?"

"Hm?"

He blinked, turning in his usual position by Berks' bedside to see Devon, kneeling by her, her fingers tracing the tubes that fed through her nose.

"You seemed deep in thought," she observed, her head tilted as she watched the comatose woman breathe ever so slightly and in painful regularity. "What were you thinking about?"

"I remember the last time I sat beside her as she lay on a hospital bed." He replied quietly. "Do you remember?"

"How could I forget," Devon sighed. "When that doctor said she wouldn't remember us, it was like someone had stabbed me in the gut. It was like..."

"It was like she had died that day."

"Yeah." Devon nodded, still watching the almost frozen form. "In a way, she did. That was our story, when she came back. The woman you loved, your wife that died, it was her. Oh, Buck," she took his hand and squeezed it, "I wanted to tell her everything, so badly. I wish this had never happened."

"I know," he gave her a slight smile, "but I'm glad she doesn't remember. I wouldn't have wanted her to remember me if it meant knowing what she had done to the surgeons and the three Freelancers. And knowing what this pain feels like, I'm glad it's me and not her feeling it."

"You've done so much for her, so much for all of us," she stood and put a hand on his shoulder, "you're a great guy, Buck. Now, c'mon," she patted his arm, encouraging him to get up, "Vicky's just come back, let's grab a coffee before we take over patrol from Glo and York."

"Alright," he nodded, "sounds good."

"Fab," she smiled.

* * *

No one really noticed Wight. For someone with exceptionally bright hair and large eyes, he tended to blend quite well into a room. Even an empty room. He was the youngest Freelancer and seen as the baby by those who could actually see him. For a long time, Wight had hated being invisible. He was ignored by many and picked on by few. Even that little bit of attention he had by the Fords playing pranks on him, he had sort of enjoyed it. They treated him like a little brother even if he did live in a constant state of paranoia every time he turned a corner or used the bathroom.

However, this invisibility came a blessing as well as a curse.

"And it works, you're sure of it?"

Wight stopped figiting in his seat in the corner as he tried to take a nap, perking his ears as he listened to the doctors talk amongst themselves, unaware of the Freelancer sitting nearby.

"Ellie, I'm sure," the younger male doctor gave a patronising reply, "those idiots left a tool box practically right by the corpse's bedside."

"Don't call her a corpse, she's not dead." The female doctor snapped.

"Not yet, that's why this has to work," the older male doctor chipped in. "Once that life support machine fails to keep that woman going, that Freelancer is going to want our blood."

"And not just him, all the others too." The other male doctor added.

"I know," she sighed, "but if they get wind of this, they'll kill us before she dies."

"This pager has a strong enough signal to contact the hospital from here, it broke on the way out here and now it's fixed."

"Well go on then, send a message."

"I have, soon the Feds will find us and arrest them, kill them maybe."

"We'll be heroes, we got the fugitives wanted by the Conductor," the older male doctor said enthusiastically.

"How long until they get here?"

"I don't know, I told them not to reply in case the pager goes off. They should be on their way."

"Oh shit." Wight gasped as the three heads turned his way, wide eyed.

"Oh shit." They chorused as the red headed Freelancer burst from his seat.

"Buck!" Wight screamed, tearing through the caverns. "BUCK!"

"What? What?!" The man came running as he heard his name, helmet under his arm and a hand over his pistol in case of trouble.

"The doctors-" he wheezed, a mixture of panic, asthma and neglected cardio made sentences difficult to construct. "They're planning- they sent a message- Feds on their way."

"Oh shit." Buck blinked.

He spun, racing towards Devon who stood facing the mouth of the cave. As the plane before them rippled into sight and the engine roared into life, there were only two words she could utter.

"Oh shit."

"Get down!" Buck roared and the Freelancers made a mad dash for weapons and armour.

Devon began shooting as the first Federal soldiers appeared, dressed in heavy black armour, descending like a plague from their plane. She was joined by her brother, Buck and Chester as the others snatched up whatever they could to join the frenzy.

"Hold fire!" The lead soldier yelled but the command was ignored by both sides. They listened when a shot ripped through Devon's shoulder and she fell.

"Devon!" Dorset shouted and the Freelancers were waved down by Buck.

"Hands behind your head! Kneel!" The soldiers ordered as Devon was helped up by her brother.

They did so and as they were surrounded by a wall of black, their weapons out of distance and their armour breakable, the devastating feeling of failure settled over them. Buck glanced around, seeing the faces of all his friends. Wight was shaking, York swallowed anxiously and Chester looked more afraid then he had ever been in his life. Buck always knew they were in trouble when Chester couldn't make a joke out of a situation. And he couldn't make a joke out of this.

Devon was biting her lip as tears streamed down her face. Blood poured from her wound and her pained expression came from both physical pain and fear of death. It wasn't a frequent feeling but she fucking hated it.

Dorset tried to reach for her, to help his sister, but a soldier kicked him back and a punch in the face, possibly breaking his nose, told him to remain where he was. Devon whimpered.

"You are hereby arrested by the Federal unit to the British Legion for crimes including kidnapping, forced break in, murder of security soldiers and attempted assassination of the Conductor." The lead soldier said, patrolling the kneeling captives.

"Okay, that last one wasn't something we planned-"

"Shut it!" He roared, cutting off Buck's plea. "Your crimes are punishable by death, so-" he waved a hand and the soldiers stepped beside a captive and placed their rifles to their heads.

A wave of pained gasped and sharp intakes of breath surrounded them. Some closed their eyes. Some scanned the cave, trying to find something nice for the last thing they'd ever see.

"Sir, there's something over here!"

The Federal officer waved a hand again and the soldiers relaxed but didn't step away.

"What is it?" He called to the soldier.

"It's a woman, she's in a coma."

"Pull the plug or something."

Buck squirmed and growled under his breath. The soldier beside him smacked him around the head with the butt of his gun.

Suddenly, the beeping grew louder and quicker.

"Something's happening..." The soldier said, his hand hovering over the comatose woman.

"What?" The officer flung his hands in the air. "For crying out loud, man, speak plainly and not all this bloody 'something's here' and 'something's happening' what is it, man, what is it?!"

"She's waking up." He swallowed.

Berks' eyes flashed open and Alpha ignited.


	21. Somebody That I Used To Know

The soldier jolted when the woman previously in a comatose state sat up. He screamed when she disappeared. The Freelancers looked up when they heard the scream and the Federal soldiers turned their weapons to face the panicking soldier.

"She's... She's gone!" He pointed to the empty bed where the tubes lay uselessly, dangling off the end off the bed and onto the floor.

Suddenly, the soldier turned his head at an incredible rate and slumped to the floor. Dead.

"Soldiers!" The officer yelled. "Shoot at the next thing that moves."

When the next thing that moved was a drip stand, flying across the air at an equally incredible rate with the cord snaking behind it, gunfire went off in a frenzy, sending wild ammunition towards the inanimate object before it smacked into two of the soldiers. A squawk came from the still-standing soldier as an invisible force slammed into him, sending him sprawling.

"Shoot the prisoners!" The officer roared, panicked. "SHOOT THEM!"

A ripple of cries came from the Freelancers as the rifles were pushed into their temples. As the canon of gunfire exploded, the sound echoing about the cave, the officer let out a relieved breath. That was until he saw the Freelancers blink and open their eyes. A shimmering blue shield washed over the submissive captives like a wave, separating their vulnerable skulls from the Federal soldiers' weapons. And in the midst of them, stood Agent Berkshire.

"Oh, shit," the officer swallowed as the woman turned her attention to him, her eyes red and glowing.

The officer scrambled for his pistol and sent shot after shot, his arm beginning to shake as she stormed towards him, undeterred. Every shot fired, by either the officer or the other soldiers, was blocked by the blue dome that surrounded her. Berks' eyes were aflame with Alpha who struck fear into the heart of the Federal officer. He dropped his pistol and attempted to throw a punch but Berks caught it, crushing his fist. He screamed in pain and she let go, her hand grabbing his neck, holding the choking man up with almost effortless strength.

"Shoot her!" He cried with a strangled voice, trying to wrench away her iron fist.

The soldiers raised their weapons and those of the Freelancers that could muster a word, cried out. Berks snatched at the second pistol in the officer's belt with her free hand and without looking, fired several shots behind her, each finding their mark through the soldiers' visors. As the glass cracked, their bodies crumbled to the floor.

"Please," the officer choked, "let me go, we'll leave you alone, just-

She tightened her grip and crushed his throat in her fist. With a spluttered scream, he became limp and Berks dropped the body like a child drops a doll.

Cautiously, the Freelancers climbed to their feet.

"Berks," Devon whispered, holding her hands up like she was coaxing a wild horse.

She turned, her chest heaving and her face contorted in aggressive anger. Her attention was suddenly diverted from the skittish Freelancers to a rumbling only she could hear. As it grew louder, the sound reached the others' ears.

"Oh no," Wight squeaked.

They stepped towards the mouth of the cave as through the dense clouds, a dark airship appeared, flanked by two smaller planes. The rush of air pushed them back, making their hair and clothes ripple with the strong wind. They held up their hands to protect their eyes from the dust and whatever else was caught up in the air, squinting and blinking helplessly at the three monsters that faced them.

All at once, the heavy aircraft began shooting, their revolving weaponry firing round after round towards the Freelancers. They dove out of the way in a desperate attempt of self preservation but it was Berks that held up the shield to protect them all. Sweat dripped from her brow as she grated her teeth in exertion, holding up the shimmering protection. Bullets deflected off the surface like rain on glass, harmless and almost therapeutic. Then, the shield began to waver as she grunted, holding up her right hand and pulling the air forward. The Freelancers watched in terrified awe as one of the flanking planes began to splutter. Smoke erupted from the engines as it shorted out, combusting into flames as it failed to keep in the air. As it dropped from view, the airship changed its brutish form into a monstrosity as rockets appeared either side of it. Only slightly out of synchronisation, they were fired.

The rockets exploded into the shield but it's wasn't the fire power, but the impact that caused the shield to falter. Berks was thrown off her feet, leaving the mouth of the cave open as she landed on her back, crying out.

"Berks!" Came the chorused yell of the Freelancers that had surfaced from their protective positions as they saw the rockets directed towards them.

The fall could have broken her back, especially without armour, but the woman stood, her body as strong as before.

Two more rockets were loaded, using this opportunity of an open target to obliterate the Freelancers. But Berks wasn't finished.

As the rockets were fired, she raised her fists once again, suddenly splaying her fingers like a tormented sorceress. The rockets diverted themselves from the original target and turned on the remaining plane. Two well placed explosions sent the flanking aircraft to join its brother down below.

The Freelancers watched on, helpless, as Berks strained, closing her eyes and bared her teeth in physical pain as she continued this fight. With an animalistic cry, she moved, punching one fist into the air as she drew the other back, splaying her fingers in this movement as if she was feeling the air.

There were then scattered screams. The Freelancers cried out in surprise while the Federal soldiers screamed in fear and agony as the front half of the airship disconnected with the back half. Plumes of smoke billowed up from the black machine as it began its long decent, accompanied by soldiers trying to flee the wreckage. Needless to say, they weren't overly successful.

With the skies clear of invading Federal soldiers, the calmness returned, a silence only broken by the excess panting of Berks and the cautious footsteps towards her from the Freelancers.

Buck didn't say anything but took slow, tentative steps towards the woman. She turned to face them, chest heaving and sweat dripping, her eyes still bright red.

"Berks, can you hear me?" He asked, his voice quiet and neutral. "Or is this Alpha in control again?"

There was an uneasy silence as he was reminded of the snarling woman in the corridor, covered in the blood of the three men she had just killed. Following his move, the Freelancers exchanged an expression and put a hand over their weapons.

"It's me, Buck," Berks replied, taking deep breath between every other word. "Why else would I have saved you?"

"Berks!" Devon barked a laugh and rushed forward, her arms extended.

Buck snatched the back of her top and pulled her back.

"We can't know for sure, Devon," he insisted, still giving the red-eyed woman a wary glance.

"She saved our lives and she's like a sister to me, Buck," she almost made a disgusted face, "she's been in a coma for however long and nearly died."

She shrugged him off and embraced Berks, wrapping her arms around her and squeezing tight.

"Woah, careful now," Berks laughed, "it's lucky this AI helps me heal."

"That was how you got up from that fall so well then?" She observed and Berks nodded.

Devon winced, remembering her wound in her shoulder. The blood had slowed but hadn't stopped and as the temporary distraction of a fight such as that was over, her pain resumed at an unbearable rate.

"I think..." Berks pondered, "I think I can heal that too."

"Well, give it a go," Devon replied through gritted teeth.

Berks pressed a hand to her wound to which Devon swore and clenched her fists and shut her eyes tight. There was a slight burning sensation and the other watched on in amazement as Devon gasped suddenly and pawed at her shoulder once Berks removed her touch. The blood still remained, drying on her clothing, but the bullet wound was closed with a faint scar as a reminder.

"That is bloody amazing," Devon breathed.

The other Freelancers began to crowd around Berks, each giving her a brief hug to welcome her back to the land of the living and a thank you for saving their lives. Chester picked her up and spun her around like an over excited big brother, nearly making her dizzy. Even Bria offered pleasantries.

"It's been tough on everyone while you were out," she said, scratching the back of her neck, "we all thought you were done for and if not, you'd go back to your Freelancer killing ways. I nearly put a bullet in your head myself."

"Well," Berks sucked air through her teeth, "I'm glad you didn't. But now that I've got Alpha back, I can remember everything."

All but Buck exchanged expressions.

"I remember meeting you all for the first time, the actual first time. I remember you, Bria."

"Yeah, sorry, I was kinda a bitch. I guess it was better when you couldn't remember me."

"Just a bit," she grinned, "but I'm glad I remember you."

For the first time, in a long time, Bria smiled.

Berks turned to face Buck who had not welcomed her back like the others. He stood at the back, his eyes dark and his arms crossed, regarding her with an indifferent expression.

"Hey."

He grunted a reply and looked away.

"Maybe we should give them some space," Devon said, beginning to herd Chester and Dorset away.

"No," Berks shook her head, "if he's got something to say, he can say it in front of everyone."

She approached him and reluctantly, Buck faced her.

"I missed you," she said quietly, "don't tell me you didn't miss me."

Buck grunted again and looked past her. He couldn't bear to look her in the eyes.

"Fuck sake, Buck!" She exclaimed exasperated. "It's me! I'm in control now! I'm working with Alpha, not against it. Can't you see that? It's me, dammit!"

He shook his head. He had fallen in love with the woman that arrived at the Freelancer base all that time ago but that woman had died. He began to fall for the second woman, the woman that made him smile again. He found his laughter right before she found that damned AI. This third woman; stronger, more powerful than the other two, was someone he didn't know. Someone he didn't trust.

"Don't treat me like I'm three different people," she growled.

Buck recoiled in shock.

"How- you-" he stuttered. "You read my mind!"

The other Freelancers swallowed nervously. How much could she hear that wasn't spoken?

"Only the surface thoughts," she explained, "I don't have the energy to go deeper."

"That's what he said," Glo piped up and was rewarded with an indifferent expression from each of the Freelancers.

"Really?" Devon tilted her head to the side. "You're gonna go there?"

"Hey, you were thinking it too," Berks grinned with an eyebrow raised.

"Was not!" Devon blurted but her colouring told a different story.

"What a dirty mind you have, Devon," Chester shook his head, "I'm ashamed, well and truly ashamed."

"Chester-"

"Yeah, so I thought of it too." After a warning from Berks, Chester rolled his eyes. It was difficult to argue with a mind reader.

"Buck, I know you don't trust me," she sighed, "but don't you remember what I did for you? I took Alpha so you didn't have to, the deaths of Bristol, Kent and Durham are on my hands, not yours."

"No," he took a step back, "Ashlynn did that for me. I loved Ashlynn and I stood by her while I was told she wouldn't know who I was when she woke up. I had to relive her existence and all the while she never knew who I was, what I meant to her. Alpha has done nothing but FUCK THINGS UP!" As he raised his voice, he clenched his teeth and his fists, now choosing to stare into her bright red eyes. "You're not Ashlynn. You're Alpha, and I hate you."

It was Berks' turn to take a step back. No matter what she could pick up in his mind could prepare her for those words said aloud.

"Buck, you don't mean it-"

"Oh, I mean it alright," he snarled. "It would have been better if you hadn't woken up here or back then, after you first got Alpha. Or better yet, if you never existed at all."

"You're a bastard." Devon was the first to speak. The rest of them fell into silence, barely believing the words that spewed from his mouth.

"She just saved our lives, destroyed aircraft, killed dozens of Federal agents and you decide you hate her NOW?!" Devon exploded, storming between them, jabbing a finger to his chest. "This is the same woman who you fell in love with, who took Alpha because you were afraid, who saved your life when she barely knew you and both of you know you would do anything for each other."

"No," he shook his head again, his top lip curled in disdain, "not anymore."

"Go to hell, you arsehole." She spat and turned around, taking Berks by the shoulders and led her away.

Buck refused to back down, but cast an apologetic expression in the direction of Chester. His best friend shook his head as he followed the other Freelancers who in turn followed Devon and Berks.

"Not cool, dude," he said.

The only person that remained was Bria.

"How could you?" She asked. Her voice wasn't laced with disgust or anger, it was voiced like a simple question.

"I don't know who she is. Not anymore."

"Of course you do," Bria sighed, exasperated. "You know it here," she put a hand to his forehead, "and here," she pressed her hand to his chest, feeling his heavy beating heart.

Buck gave her strange look. He didn't move but was curious of her gentle smile.

"Don't fuck it up again," she said and left him.

Alone, Buck paused for a moment before he put his hand to his heart where Bria's hand had been. Under his shirt, he could feel the chain, the dog tag and the ring. He pulled it out from under his shirt and unhooked the chain, watching the ring judder down the tiny, linked, metal balls before landing in his hand. He joined it with the ring on his finger, the same ring he hadn't taken off since the night Berks had taken his place on the operating table. He loved her. He didn't love Alpha, how could he? He looked into those bright red eyes and all he could see was that snarling woman in the white washed corridor, drenched in the blood of the three weakest Freelancers. She used to have green eyes, beautiful green eyes that he would get lost in. He'd forgotten what they looked like.

With a snarl, he threw the rings to the floor and as he stormed away, the high pitched ringing of the golden bands echoed about the cave entrance as they settled. Once they lay still on the floor, the cavern became silent. The metal that was warmed by a place by his heart now grew cold on that dusty stone floor.


	22. Final Move

Devon stood, arms crossed, in front of one of the smaller caverns, a makeshift room as part of the cave network. She guarded the room where Berks was changing in. After all, she had been in the same clothes ever since she had found Alpha back at Command. It was quiet which didn't put Devon too much at ease. Especially as she couldn't hear Berks anymore.

Stepping closer into the room, without looking in, she listened.

The sounds of shifting fabric had stopped and the noise that replaced it was almost silent, but still distinguishable. Berks was sobbing.

"Hey," she called quietly, entering the cavern, "hey, are you alright?"

The woman was crouched, sitting against the cavern wall, her face in her hands. Her shoulders shook as she cried.

"Berks!" Devon rushed over to her, dropping to her knees and put her hands on the quivering shoulders of her friend, drawing her closer.

"I can't believe it, I just can't," she sobbed, her face now pressed into Devon's shoulder.

"He'll realise before long how wrong he is," she tried to assure her, "don't worry about it."

"How can I not?" She cried. "The man I love, the man I've done everything for claims he doesn't know me."

'Well, now you know how he felt,' she thought.

Devon stopped and kept her thoughts inside her head where they belonged. However, she briefly forgot that with an AI, Berks didn't need a voice to air those thoughts.

"Maybe you're right," she sniffed, drawing back. "You didn't see him crying."

"You know, he probably did at some point. But his go-to response was to be angry."

"I know what he's like, he'd rather everyone think he was an aggressive shit before letting them see him cry," Berks sighed, tilting her head back so that it rested on the wall.

"Like all men," Devon said, making her friend smile slightly.

"We should probably get a move on," Berks stood, rubbing her face with her top but failing to conceal the telltale signs of weeping.

"Yeah, the Feds could be back at any moment if they think we've killed the first team." She nodded in agreement, adjusting her rifle in her grip as she glanced at Berks' top, surprised to find it with just the regular damp patches where she had dried her eyes.

Berks glanced up, reading Devon's mind again.

"You're surprised," she remarked with a smile, "expecting red tears?"

Devon nodded.

"Would be kinda creepy but yeah, quite surprised you cry like a normal person."

"At least that's something." She sighed.

As they returned to the subject of their next move, Devon glanced to the door of the cavern and sighed.

"We need to attack Command," Berks said and Devon nodded.

"We have to," her voice was resigned but not without strength, "the Feds will come back and if we stay, we'll just keep on having to kill them and they'll get bigger, stronger until they kill us."

"It's a once and for all thing, really," she summed up and Devon made a face that said 'essentially, yeah'.

"The Freelancers that went missing were taken by the Conductor, to kill those who weren't strong enough to be given an AI," Devon told her but Berks made no surprised expression. She had known this by reading her thoughts before the words had left her lips.

"And it was the Fords that attacked us when Buck and I went to that blue base," Berks added, "that makes sense. If it was an exclusive Freelancer weapon that nearly killed him, it must have been a Freelancer holding it."

"Honestly, we thought it was Bria again," Devon said.

"I heard that."

The two squeaked as Bria stood in the doorway, hands on hips.

"You know," she said as she entered the cavern, "for someone with an AI, you're taken by surprise quite easily."

"I had my guard down, not looking out for anything," Berks explained, "and I've still got to get used to it, I guess."

"You shouldn't have your guard down," Bria told them, "we have to always be ready, for anything."

They nodded in silent agreement. As much as they didn't like to hear it, they couldn't argue with that.

"I heard you wanted to take Command," she folded her arms and her face gave no sign as to whether she approved or disapproved of this plan, "it's a risky move."

"Very risky," Devon emphasised, "but it's a move we have to take."

"You're right," she said, "we have enough people, skilled enough and tough enough."

"How would you know we have enough people?" Devon asked, frowning.

There was a moment of silence before Berks answered for her.

"Because she's tried it before."

"What?!" Devon exclaimed, eyes wide as she stared at Bria.

"It was shortly before Buck was gonna get Alpha-"

"I remember," Berks interrupted, "I saw you say goodbye."

Bria reddened.

"Yeah, well, after that I went searching for a place to stay and found here. There were a few rogues, pirates, set up here and attacked as soon as my jet touched the ground. I killed them all and that's when I met Vicky. She just pulled up alongside my jet, jumped out of her plane, looked around, sighed and said 'not again'."

"Sounds like Vicky," Devon said.

"She told me what the previous inhabitants were up to after I threw their bodies off the edge. They were a part of a small insurrectionist group that were planning to take down Command and the Conductor. As it turned out, we were on the same side and I probably could have used their help. They must have recognised me as a Freelancer, thinking I was the 'bad guy'. Ironic, huh?"

"First impressions make it or break it," Devon shrugged, "just don't try to kill someone you just met, you never know."

"So Vicky heard me out and delivered me a few things I needed. The AIs were bad news, that was made very clear. I'd heard rumours of Alpha going wrong and killing three Freelancers."

"And that was all you heard," Berks said and Bria nodded, confirming this. "You went after Buck, thinking he had escaped with Alpha."

"Yeah, that was a stupid mistake. I'm glad he survived."

"We all are," Berks said quietly, wondering how glad he really was that she survived. Not very from their last conversation.

"After I thought Buck and Alpha were dead, I made my way to Command, alone. It was almost a suicide mission, I was so distraught at what I'd done. By some miracle, I made it in and out alive."

"Did you get anything out of it?" Devon asked.

"Not really," Bria shrugged, "it was pretty quiet, the Conductor was away so security was down. I tried to get information on the AIs but only managed to find out that it was really bad news."

"And then the alarms went off and you only just managed to get out of there with a stolen stealth suit." Berks concluded.

"Yeah, but it broke pretty quick, it was a black market prototype," Bria sighed.

"We made need some more of those, better ones if we're going to get into Command." Devon spoke for all of them. "I don't need an AI to know that's what everyone's thinking."

"I'll talk to Vicky," Bria nodded and left the cavern.

"Wow," Devon raised her eyebrow in a surprised expression and made an 'O' shape with her mouth after Bria had left, "I did not know she had made it in and out of Command before."

"I guess that would explain their extra security measure of that Mantis last time we were there," Berks replied.

"Yeah, but wow, Bria is a real dark horse."

Berks nodded in agreement.

"I'm just not entirely sure whether that's a good thing or not."

"Oh?" Devon questioned.

"I can't predict what she's going to do next if she doesn't know herself."

"Her problem is being unpredictable?"

"Her problem is being we can't trust her." Berks said and folded her arms in a defensive position. That's what Devon was worried of, splits in the team. Now Berks had an AI, she didn't need to have faith in anyone, she could just breeze past their thoughts and know their true intentions. Hell, it made things easier, but trust was gone. And without trust, what kind of team were they?


	23. Hello Again

Buck was used to silence. He was used to it after Berks had Alpha removed and he sat by her bedside until she woke. He was used to it after everyone had heard of what had happened and they tended to leave him alone. There was that moment when he felt like he would never have to live in silence again, just before Berks was reunited with Alpha, when he felt like they could grow close again. But then, it was gone. The silence returned when Berks fell into a coma. And it remained when she woke up.

It was strange. He hadn't intended to react like this. He had imagined her waking up as he sat beside her, breaking the silence as she whispered his name. But all he could see were those red eyes and was constantly reminded of that dammed AI that was meant for him.

"You alright?"

"Hm?" Buck stirred, deep in thought as he sat amidst the deafening silence in the back of Vicky's plane. The whole team, all the fugitives were aboard, leaving their cave hideout for the final fight. It was a pretty sombre atmosphere.

"I said, are you alright?" Bria asked, sitting opposite him.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine," he said with little conviction.

She nodded, not believing him, but didn't press the matter any further. They returned to the silence.

Berks sat at the far end with Devon beside her, Dorset, Wight and then Bria. On the other side were York, Glo, two spaces and then Chester beside Buck. Each had been kitted up with supplies Vicky had managed to grab from her black market regulars. They each wore a stealth suit over their normal armour, perfectly moulded to the shape and see-through so that their colours were only just seen by their teammates. Beside their guns on their belt were small syringe like pistols. These were for the Freelancers with the AIs; one shot of this almost clear, green substance would put them out for a few hours. Vicky had told them it wouldn't work long range but had to be administered straight into a body part. This was easier said than done.

Buck refused to look over at Berks, only feeling that familiar sharp stabbing pain every time he did so. He knew he couldn't keep doing this. One day he would have to look at her and remember. But then again, maybe he would die today, and he wouldn't have to worry about that.

Who'd have guessed death had its perks?

"Right, buckle up guys, let's do this again!" Vicky called from the front as they heard a few switches click before the plane began to rumble.

"Hey, Buck," Chester said as they all gripped to the bars that kept them in place, "how'd you get to us when you were at the hospital and you broke into Command?"

"Return trip," Vicky answered for him with a grin.

"Fair enough," Chester shrugged.

"Do you think they'll be expecting us?" Wight asked, his voice almost a squeak as his grip tightened around the bars.

"Nah," Glo scoffed, "they won't think we're stupid enough to attack Command twice."

"But what if they _know_ we're stupid enough to attack twice?"

Glo paused a moment, chewing on his lip, then shrugged.

"I guess we're all dead then."

Wight made a pained noise like a small wounded animal and shrunk in his seat.

"Glo!" Devon snapped. "Wight, we're gonna be fine, we've got Berks with us, she took down all those Feds, she can take down these guys too."

"How do you know she won't turn on us?" He asked rather loud.

The back of the plane went quiet and Berks felt a horrific pain in her heart. No one trusted her.

"It's Berks, Wight," Devon assured him, "she's our friend. I know she won't turn on us."

Berks smiled but couldn't stop Alpha from listening in on Devon's thoughts. Both women gave each other a gentle smile, both knowing that Devon didn't believe it either.

* * *

Just like before, the team descended from Vicky's plane onto the roof of Command, this time, with instructions as to where Vicky would be if they needed to get out of there quickly like last time.

"I can teleport one or two of us inside," Berks said as they crouched, assessing their manoeuvre.

"Not everyone at once?" Bria asked.

"I don't think so," she shook her head, "I don't think I'm strong enough."

She extended a hand, towards Buck of all people. He wasn't looking at her, so when he turned, he caught sight of the hand and followed it back to its source. Seeing who it belonged to, he scoffed and turned away. Chester accepted the invitation.

"We can go on ahead," he said, "we'll meet you inside."

"Don't have fun without us," Bria grinned.

"It's just as well I've got this," York said, holding the strange substance he used last time.

Before Berks and Chester left, they waited briefly to make sure everyone got inside alright.

"I'm getting deja vu," Dorset said before he followed York down into the empty corridor, through the artificial hole.

"You think this is bad," Berks mutter under her breath, "try reliving a few weeks of your life."

"It's like Groundhog Day with more guns," Devon said cheerily before jumping down too.

Berks disappeared, suddenly appearing in the huge training hall where she had been trapped in before and where Buck had saved her. There was even a patched up wall where he had crashed through.

Shaking the thoughts from her head, she approached one of the walls where she patted down the surface, trying to find a hidden door.

"Chester," she sighed, "c'mon-"

As Berks turned, she saw her friend on his hands and knees, heaving, his helmet off and his face green.

"Er, you alright?" She asked, concerned.

"Yep, gimme a moment-" he said between words where he held back vomit. "Teleporting isn't an ideal mode of transportation. I get teleport-sickness."

"You're so weird," she chuckled and helped him to his feet.

They staggered towards the wall as the double doors opened behind them. They spun, nearly causing Chester to barf everywhere, but sighed in relief as the rest of their team appeared, their suits rippling into visibility.

"Chill, it's just us," Devon raised her hands in mock surrender.

"Woah, what happened to Chester?" Her brother asked, noting the pale man who attempted to stand on his own and place his helmet back over his head.

"Teleporting doesn't agree with him," Berks sighed.

Without a word, Buck approached the wall they had been fumbling with and found the switch nearly immediately. A door opened and the team entered in silence where darkness greeted them.

"Ooh, I don't like this," Devon whispered.

"They're just up here," Buck told them, tiny beams of light emitting from their helmets to show the way.

Berks lowered her gun when the glow of the AIs came into sight. She stepped in front, approaching the small, dull chip that lay inside the glass case. It's light had gone out when Berks touched it. This was Alpha, what was left of it, that empty shell. Berks lifted the glass as Devon snatched her arm in fear.

"What more could it do?" Berks asked and took the chip anyway. Devon let out a sigh of relief when nothing happened. If she could give this to someone to dissect maybe they could work out what went wrong last time.

"So these are where all the AIs are?" Bria walked among the glowing boxes.

"Where they were," Dorset corrected, noting some of the lights being absent from the boxes, "the Fords have AIs now and all the others that disappeared."

"We'll have to watch out for them too," Buck said, "as well as the Conductor, wherever he is."

"I hope they're alright," Devon's voice was quiet, "and not like..."

"Me." Berks finished. "Well, what I was like."

"I have a feeling that's exactly what they're gonna be like," Glo said darkly, unusual for his cheery self.

"Right," Bria continued pacing about, "how do we destroy these fuckers then?"

She pointed her rifle at one of them and waited for a prompt.

"Hold up," Berks said and Bria relaxed her grip.

"What?"

"There's something here."

They all immediately raised their weapons and scanned the area, expecting something to come bursting out of the shadows.

"What is it?" Wight asked, his voice slightly shaking.

"It's... Me." She replied, her voice between confused and scared.

"How is it you?" Devon said, her fingers twitching as she held her gun nervously.

"Well, not me, but Alpha."

"There's two Alphas?!" Buck spluttered.

"No, the AIs, I can feel them," Berks held a hand over the nearest one to her, "they're all copies of Alpha, smaller and weaker, but based on Alphas individual traits."

"How can you tell?" Dorset glanced from AI to AI, not daring to go close enough to touch them.

"I just can, Alpha recognises them."

"You, Alpha, what's the difference?" Buck spat. "You claim to be different yet you're both killers."

"Buck, don't do this now-" Bria tried but he pushed her aside, storming towards Berks again.

"Those Federal agents, it was just like Kent, Bristol and Durham."

"It was nothing like that!" Berks exploded. "Alpha was in control then, I didn't know what I was doing! With the Feds, they were going to kill you all. I was protecting you!"

"I'm surprised you're giving Berks the credit here, Alpha," Buck gave a dark chuckle.

"You still think Alpha's in control?!" Berks shook her head. "This is ridiculous, you know it's me!"

"But I don't! You remember everything, only Alpha would be able to do that! You forgot everything the moment it was removed."

"Alpha's helping me!"

"Helping you to cause massacres, sure, I just hope we're not next on your list."

"What the fuck, Buck?! You have no idea what it was like, to go through that part of my life again!"

"I know exactly what it was like!" He roared, pressing a finger to her chest. "Just like everyone else, I had to relive what you had forgotten. Thanks to Alpha!"

"Buck-" Chester put a hand on his shoulder but was violently shaken off.

"Just fuck off, Chester!" He snapped, not taking his eyes off of Berks, his own chest rising and falling rapidly as he began to recover from his screaming fit.

"No, shut the fuck up," Bria growled, "listen."

They all fell silent as the voices grew louder.

_"They're over here!"_

_"I can hear them!"_

_"Sound the alarm!"_

"Fuck!" Devon squeaked as they all turned towards the sounds of the soldiers.

"Nice going you two," York sighed and pressed the side of his helmet, shimmering into nothing.

The others followed suit, using their suits to cloak themselves against the soldiers that had detected them.

"What do we do with the AIs?" Dorset asked as they began to move.

"Nothing," Berks replied sharply, "we leave them."

They avoided the confused guards, all uniformed in either grey or black armour, who desperately searched the room, hoping to find the source of the yelling. It was difficult to manoeuvre around each other as neither could see the other, yet by the occasional flash of Berks as she used Alpha to turn invisible and then visible again allowed the team to follow her. The alarm was already screeching as they left the room, red lights spinning as the sound reverberated across the corridors. The team managed to get away unscathed and stationed themselves around a corner of two empty intersecting corridors. They were all fine until Wight let out a terrified squeak.

"What is it?" Devon hissed.

"I can see you!" He hissed back.

Sure enough, the shimmering of Devon's armour was becoming lighter as her white and yellow armour became revealed.

"Oh, shit!" She cursed, furiously pressing the side of her helmet to no avail.

"Glo! I can see you too!" York nudged his friend who nudged him back.

"I can see you!"

In succession all of their cloaking suit faded away to reveal their normal armour. They were all vulnerable. Well, all but Berks.

"Vicky said it didn't last forever," Bria said, "I knew this would happen, just like fucking last time!"

"Keep your voice down," Devon snapped, "this won't help."

"Crap, this can't get any worse," Glo slumped, hitting his head back against the wall behind him.

"Don't jinx it!" Wight squeaked.

"Fuck sake, Glo," Buck snarled.

"What?!"

"You had to say it," his voice lowered and tilted his head to around the corner.

Silently, they all peeked around to take a look at what he was referring to. In turn, they all cursed a number of profanities under their breath as they turned back.

Two figures stalked the corridors, recognisable by their almost identical armour. Agents Herefordshire and Hertfordshire were searching for them, their eyes beneath their visors glowing with the light of their designated AIs.

"You think this is bad," Buck took a deep breath, "it's about to get a whole lot worse."


	24. Obstacles

"We need to move!" Bria hissed, keeping her voice as low as she could. They didn't know what sort of AIs the two had, whether it heightened their senses, making it easier to hear intruders.

"We can't if they're in the way!" Buck replied.

Wight's bright, fearful eyes darted for the nearest escape like a trapped rabbit. He had felt nervous before, around those two, anxious as to what manner of mischief would befall him that day. But he'd never been afraid of them before. Not like this.

For some reason, it sparked something in him, an almost invincible feeling. He knew they weren't his friends any longer, they weren't the same guys that pranked him every morning before breakfast. That's what he kept telling himself. But he did it anyway.

"C'mon, fellas!" Wight suddenly cried, leaping out of their hiding place and bolted for one of the two corridors before them. This corridor led away from the Conductor's base but also away from Ford One and Two.

"What the _fuck_?!" The others gasped, watching the crazy kid wave his arms about momentarily before the AI infected Freelancers snarled and rushed after him.

"Aw, damn it," Glo grumbled and snatched York, bursting into a run after Wight.

"Go on without us!" York called to the others.

Wight bolted like frightened hare down the corridor. He didn't dare try shooting blindly behind him in case he hit York and Glo. He didn't stop either, in case they were right behind him. A corner rushed to meet him as he barrelled on, bouncing off the wall.

Breathlessly, and really regretting not fully committing to the Freelancer exercise programme, Wight stole a look behind him. He faltered when he saw the empty corridor. York and Glo burst into sight, but also stumbled and halted when they saw they were alone.

Suddenly, a tall figure appeared in front of Wight. He swallowed and turned slowly as the second figure appeared behind him.

"Aw, crap," he whined.

The Fords moved, striking the significantly smaller Freelancer between them. Wight ducked, narrowly avoiding the mirrored punches.

"What sort of AIs are those?" Glo asked York as they raised their weapons. They didn't want to fire in case they killed the Fords. After all, it was still them, in there, somewhere.

"Invisibility? Teleportation?" York guessed.

Wight scrambled down the hall as the two Fords appeared and disappeared around him, throwing the young Freelancer into a state of paranoid panic.

"Both?" They said together, shrugging, and rushed forward.

It was hard to punch a target that couldn't be seen, but it wasn't impossible. After numerous missed, the gleeful Glo found his mark and made contact with the invisible Freelancer and heard him fall back to the floor.

"Fuck yeah!" He yelled, jumping and waving his arms in the air.

Then, he vanished.

"Glo!" York and Wight shouted.

An invisible force struck York and sent him sprawling to the floor. Wight rushed to help him but was kicked in the side from nowhere, preventing him from reaching his friend.

It was a strange sight to say the least. It appeared to be that York was having a fit. He flailed about, his torso lifted on its own accord and fell back again, his head snapping from side to side. One arm tried to bat away the invisible threat while the other reached for the small syringe in his belt.

York cried out in anguish as the needle-gun was smacked out of his hand, spinning across the ground. The pressure was suddenly lifted and York scrambled towards the drug, grunting as he crawled. One arm reached out, fingers extended, just as the exposed vial cracked under the force of an invisible boot.

"No!" He shouted as the liquid lazily leaked out of the splintered glass and pooled on the floor.

The same boot collided with his face and York fell silent, his extended arm lying still before him.

Wight whimpered. He listened out for the light tread of Freelancer's footsteps, but he couldn't focus hard enough to work out where it came from. Those steps were slow, as if he was pacing, analysing Wight, judging what kind of prey he would be. In those moments, Wight thought back to when everything was normal. He watched out for cling film over the toilet, cellotape between the door frame and the Fords behind corners down a corridor. That was the worst he had experienced. He hadn't ever been in a situation like this before. Sometimes he wondered why he was ever recruited to be a Freelancer. He was scared of everything, he couldn't fight properly, even if someone were to jump up behind him-

'Oh shit.' Wight thought, frozen. 'He's behind me.'

Before the invisible Ford could react, Wight had snatched the needle-gun from his belt and spun, punching it into his neck, just under his helmet.

The figure slumped and collapsed as soon as the needle-gun was withdrawn. He rippled, the invisibility fading away to his regular armour.

"That's why I'm a Freelancer," Wight indulged himself in a victory dance before remembering York was still out cold. "Shit, York! Wake up!" He fell down to his knees, shaking the Freelancer.

"Uh..." York groaned, immediately clasping his head as he gained consciousness.

"York, I did it," he said, helping him to his feet, "I got one of them!"

Groggily, York turned his tender skull in the direction of one of the Fords, sprawled out on the ground.

"You never cease to amaze me, kid," York chuckled and put his arm around Wight, patting him on the back.

"Can you walk?" He asked, anxious as York removed his helmet and winced, pressing his palms to his temples before pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Yeah, yeah, I can walk," he inhaled deeply before putting his helmet back on.

"Good," Wight gave him a slight smile, "since I'm not gonna be able to carry him on my own."

* * *

The corridor was clear, even void of all black and grey soldiers. No one wanted to be around those strange Freelancers with glowing eyes and who never spoke.

This made it just a little easier for the group to get by unseen.

"We should go back to help Wight," Chester hissed but Bria shook her head.

"York and Glo are on it, he'll be fine."

"Besides, we needed them to distract the Fords so we could get down here," Buck said bitterly.

"They're your friends, Buck, not just distractions," Dorset said, rather disgusted.

"Am I wrong?" He stopped, spinning around, his eyes ablaze. "Does anyone else think we should go back and help them?"

No one said anything.

"That's what I thought," Buck harrumphed but paused, seeing how all the Freelancers weren't even looking at him. They were looking past him.

Then he heard the footsteps.

Slowly, he turned, following their gazes.

The Mantis took another stomp forward and whirred, analysing the men and women before it.

"Intruder alert." It rumbled. "Identity yourself."

"Ooh, hello," Buck broke into a dark grin. "I've missed you."


	25. Alpha, Mike, Foxtrot

"Go! Go! Go!" Bria roared and the Freelancers burst into a run, darting for the Mantis.

"I've got this!" Buck shouted as he dived out of the way of artillery fire as it peppered the corridor floor. "Just get to the Conductor!"

"Are you sure?" She screamed a reply over the noise.

"Just go!"

Berks lingered for a moment. She could take down that Mantis in a heartbeat. She could tear it apart or she could destroy it from the inside out. But instead, she left. Buck could deal with this one alone.

* * *

Like disturbed beetles, the Freelancers scattered and left Buck on his own with the great hulking Mantis. Now they understood why the corridors were so wide and so tall.

"C'mon, you great hulking lump!" Buck shouted as the Mantis whirred, targeting the lone Freelancer.

Machine gun fire ripped through the floor which Buck just narrowly avoided. He returned fire, the insignificant shells merely bouncing off of the Mantis' armour.

"Aw, crap," Buck muttered.

It stomped forward, juddering with each movement. Buck was running out of options, it was too well protected to shoot but too strong to kick down. With a grunt, he kicked off the wall, snatching the arm of the Mantis.

"Ah ha!" He exclaimed in triumph as he swung.

The Mantis paused for a moment, analysing a way to be rid of the Freelancer that hung off of its arm. As Buck began to climb up, he realised the Mantis' next move.

"Oh, no."

The machine began to spin, the whitewashed corridors became a blur and he felt his stomach turn as his legs became suspended. Buck flew horizontally about, refusing to let go.

"Not... Today..." He said through heaving breaths.

He pulled his way up to the back of the Mantis and pulled a knife from his belt, forcing his way through its thick metal armour. He managed to carve a rough panel before the first wave of nausea slapped him in the face and dug his knife under it, lifting the panel up. The chunk of metal spun away into the blur of white, revealing a mess of wires inside.

"This looks important!" Buck announced and yanked out several coloured wires.

With several sparks and groaning, the Mantis juddered and began to slow. As it wound to a stop, rendered useless, Buck jumped down from its back and promptly fell over.

He stood up, staggered for a few steps and fell over again.

"Bloody hell," he choked, trying not to throw up, "this is worse than Chester's last birthday."

* * *

"You could have stopped it."

"What?" Berks pretended not to hear Bria as they raced down the corridor, away from the great hulking machine.

"I know you can read my thoughts so don't act like I'm not talking loud enough," Bria said bitterly.

Berks harrumphed as they slowed to a steady jog, now the danger was away from them.

"Why didn't you do it? To teach Buck a lesson? Too much effort?"

"It's... A bit of both," she sighed, keeping her voice down so the others didn't hear her. "I probably could have broken it, tore it apart and saved everyone the trouble but... I don't know if I'm strong enough."

"What do you mean?" Bria shook her head. "You're Alpha-"

"I have Alpha," she corrected.

"Sorry, you have Alpha. So what's the big deal? You're the strongest of them all."

"I don't know if I am," Berks nearly whispered. "All the Freelancers with AIs only have one to control, I have... Multiple. I didn't feel strong enough to take more than Chester with me when I teleported."

"Do you think you'll be strong enough for this?" Bria's face was lined with concern.

"I don't know. I hope so. I think Alpha's getting weaker."

"Weaker?"

"When I woke, I burst into action. I wasn't eased into it. I had to help and I just did it, using everything in my power to do so. That took a lot out of me. I have to recover, but I don't have time."

"Berks, you of all people can get through this," she could sense her smile beneath her helmet, "if Buck doesn't think so, know I do."

Berks hesitated before looking into her thoughts, but did so anyway. There it was, that niggling doubt that saw Berks lying sprawled on the floor, bloody and defeated. But it was a thin thread, attached to a much larger spool. Bria had faith in her. And she wasn't alone.

* * *

Devon lagged behind. She wanted to go back and help Wight and then when the group passed by, she wanted to go back and help Buck. She kept glancing over her shoulder, waiting for them to catch up.

"Guys, I think we should slow down," she called but only her brother answered.

"C'mon, Dev," he waved, "we haven't got time to wait around!"

Grumbling, Devon pressed forward but kept glancing behind her. It was here that she found the third AI infected Freelancer.

She squawked as a fist darted out and snatched her neck, holding her up in the air with inhuman strength. Devon kicked and wriggled, clawing at the hand around her neck in an attempt to breath.

"Staffie!" She choked, suddenly recognising the Freelancer.

The grip tightened and Devon began to feel herself weakening. Her legs stopped kicking and her arms dropped to her side. Her eyes rolled back, her eyelids closed and she exhaled one last time.

"Not my sister, you bitch!" Dorset roared but Staffie's free hand punched him in the chest, sending him sprawling back, clutching his heart as if it had sent him into cardiac arrest.

Her grip lessened around Devon's neck and the not-so-dead Freelancer snapped awake and sent a kick straight into Staffie's crotch. The woman doubled up and dropped Devon, gasping and covering her red neck with her hands. If she wasn't wearing an armour brace around her neck as precaution, she could have been in a very bad place. Luckily for them, when they had been planning where was the most effective way of taking out the infected Freelancer's, they found just under the helmet was the best place, so they protected their own, just in case.

"You've been practising amateur dramatics, haven't you?" Chester asked Devon as he injected the knockout drug into Staffie's neck.

"Chester-" Devon said through a strangled breath, signalling for them to keep moving.

"I know, alright, but well done you," he beamed proudly and Devon couldn't help but smile.

Berks and Bria had back tracked, finding Staffie lying flat out in the corridor. As Chester helped Dorset to his feet, Berks gathered Devon up and placed her hand over her throat. With a soft glow, Devon started panting and breathing better.

"This better not become a habit," Berks grinned.

"I'll try not to get beaten up so much," she replied.

As she rubbed the bruise, the sounds of three fast paced footsteps approached and came into sight, turning the corner and halting. Buck was hunched over with his helmet on the floor and his eyes were wide, concentrating on the ground. Wight and York carried one of the Fords between them, but York couldn't stand straight and kept adjusting his stance as he tilted too far one way.

"What happened to you guys?" Chester asked.

"And where's Glo?" Dorset added.

"I..." Buck's cheeks bulged and he held a hand to his mouth. With a false alarm, he let out a breath of air and stood up straight. "I took out the Mantis."

"And we got one of the Fords," Wight said.

"But the other took Glo," York finished.

"Set him down beside Staffie," Berks said, waving to the prone form before them.

"I see you encountered another AI while we were gone," Buck scoffed.

"And who knows how many more there are," Devon said, sucking the air through her teeth.

The two AI infected Freelancers lay side by side and Berks knelt down before them. She lifted their shoulder pads, tearing their armour away with her strength and flung it aside. Then, she pulled a knife from her belt and before anyone could stop here, plunged it beneath their shoulder blades, one after the other, digging out the small chips that were injected there.

"Jesus, Berks!" Chester cried as the others gasped.

"The AIs are out," she said, dropping the two blood stained chips to the floor.

Blood streamed from the slashes in their shoulders, cut into the not-quite-healed marks, proof of the operation they had already gone under, most likely, unwillingly. Berks pressed her hands over the open wounds and growled, squeezing her eyes shut as the contact of her hands to their skin caused her gauntlets to glow. When she removed her hands, their wounds were healed, leaving only drying, sticky blood behind.

As Berks stood, she picked up the two chips and tossed them about in her hand.

"Alpha, Mike, Foxtrot..." She mused.

"Isn't that a line from a film?" Dorset asked. "What was it... Uh... Ah! The A Team!"

Berks turned to them and grinned.

"Alpha, Mike, Foxtrot," she repeated. "Adios motherfucker."


	26. Gladiators

One by one, Berks teleported with Staffie and the other Ford to the roof, hoping that Vicky would find them. If not, they'd simply pick them up on their way out. _If_ they got out.

As she returned, she wobbled, glancing to Bria. No one else noticed, but the two exchanged expressions. She was getting weaker.

Berks continued to lead however and so on they ran, through the corridors, their guard up and watching out for another Mantis or another Freelancer.

"How do you know which way we're going?" Devon asked which made Berks jump. She hadn't heard her think of the question. In fact, the continuous drone of thoughts around her was much quieter now and it was only when she actually concentrated could she make out any words.

"Uh... Alpha can sense the energy of this building," she explained, "it's strongest in the centre, right where I'm guessing the Conductor will be."

"Sounds simple enough," Devon nodded in reply. "So where does Alpha say we should go next?"

"We take a right..." Berks said as she turned, "...Then a left up here...And then..."

The team faltered, all slowing or stumbling to a halt. They stood in the doorway to an arena, larger than any training hall they'd ever been in before. It was circular shaped, brightly lit and all was pure white except the spectator booth. There were figures inside but as the spotlight turned, blinding them, it was impossible to see who watched them.

"No!"

Berks spun, holding a hand up to her eyes, trying to find the voice. She knew it was Devon, but she couldn't see her. Forms were there one second and gone the next. Was her sight really that bad? Had the spotlight made it seem as if her teammates were disappearing.

"Chester!"

"Stop!"

"Let me-"

The voices became more fragmented, less people began to speak until none spoke at all. When the cluster of voices stopped, the light went out.

Berks blinked rapidly, rubbing her eyes and reaching out for anyone. A silhouetted figure was in front of her, still and staring. She could nearly make out its form amid the black spots that clustered her vision. Their head moved to the side as if curious, then, suddenly disappeared.

"Devon?" She called as her sight began to return. "Chester?"

No one replied. When she was able to see again, she realised she was alone.

"Agent Berkshire!"

A new voice split though the speakers, making her spin again, marching forward towards the spectator booth. Inside, the figures she could see were all the Freelancers, lined up and looking down on her.

"You and your team are enemies to the system." The voice continued.

"We're enemies to the people who tried to kill us!" She retorted, her face dark and glaring in whatever direction.

"You broke into Command. Twice."

"You're the Conductor, aren't you?" Berks turned again, trying to find the source of the voice.

"I am. And I think you'll find I have every right to execute you and your friends for your crimes."

"You have_ no_ right!" She shouted. "You were going to use us as brain dead killers or have us killed!"

"The creation of efficient and effective soldiers was an... Unorthodox method. The AIs were a revolutionary breakthrough, stronger and much more powerful than the Americans'."

"The AIs are dangerous! They... They made me kill innocent people."

"They were weak! They were of no use to the Freelancer project. They had to die!"

"No they didn't!"

"Might I remind you, their blood is not on my hands. It's on yours."

Berks said nothing. She felt her heart pulse twice as fast. She could see it all again, that hack saw in her hand, dripping with blood. Her thoughts were not her own, it was only Alpha, telling her to terminate the weak and ill-fit to undergo this project.

_There was blood everywhere. It came from her shoulder. It came from the dead man on the floor._

_Buck stood before her, eyes wide and hands raised, like he was attempting to soothe a wild animal._

_"Ashlynn."_

_She blinked. She felt herself shift, like Alpha had loosened its control, if only for a moment. She had a hold, she tried to fight, to break out of the unconscious state she was in._

_It was like trying to open your eyes in a dream, just before you're about to wake up. You feel lazy, but you're trying to move. You're part of two people, the active dreamer and the unconscious sleeper._

_Then, there was a shot and everything went black._

"Do you remember?" The Conductor's voice was laced with menace.

"Of course I remember," she snarled. "I wasn't in control!"

"And you are now?"

"I am."

"How sure are you about that?"

"As sure as I can be."

"Let's see about that."

There was a low sound of a horn and a rumbling of a door opening. In the far side, below the spectators booth, the door opened to reveal the black and gold armoured man. He marched forward and then stopped in the middle of the arena, frozen, like a toy soldier.

"London..." Berks breathed. "What have you done with him?"

"I've improved him." The Conductor replied. "He has Bravo, Charlie _and_ Kilo."

"Three AIs?" She stared at the former leader of the Freelancer team, presently reduced to nothing but a mindless slave.

"He is stronger than most. Maybe even stronger than you."

"So that's the game is it?" She called out. "You want me to fight him? See who triumphs? See who's the best fighter?"

"That is the game," she could hear the smile on his voice, "but like every good game, you don't fight the boss until the end."

Suddenly, the floor rumbled. Berks staggered as the part of the ground she was standing on began to rise. She glanced to London who still stood frozen, rising up on this white podium just the same as her. They were thirty or forty feet in the air when they stopped moving.

That silhouetted figure she had encountered earlier was one of the Fords, the remaining one which had abducted all her team from around her. He made his return, appearing with five people, at one time. Like himself, his companions of Rut and Mersey stood unmoving and waiting for orders from the Conductor. On the other side, Dorset was on his knees, heaving, Chester had his helmet pulled off and had a hand to his mouth. Buck stood in front of them both, his legs shaking but trying to stand tall and firm.

"A penultimate battle," the Conductor explained. "An equal match. Probably."

"You can't do this!" Berks cried out.

"I think you'll find I can," the Conductor sighed, almost sounding resigned. "And, I have."

A horn sounded and the three Freelancers infected by the AIs burst into action. Alpha managed to read them first. This Ford had Tango, teleportation and could obviously carry more people than her. Rut had Quebec, speed, and Mersey had India, a protective shield. Fear rippled through Berks. What if she was weaker than them? She didn't think she was strong enough to teleport more than one other person, her shields could be broken and she hadn't even tried to run fast yet. She felt there were more traits Alpha had hidden from her. Was this to prevent her from destroying herself if she used too much or was Alpha really against her?

Paranoia was not her only problem. Below, Rut, Mersey and Ford Two were brutally attacking the others. Buck tried to protect his friends who were still suffering from the sudden transport. He sent out a kick in one direction and a punch in the other, but it was either blocked by India's shield or dodged. Rut and Ford Two were everywhere at once, one taking Dorset off his feet just as he managed to stand as the other grabbed him from the air and dropped him from a height of fifteen foot.

Berks couldn't take it anymore. She moved forward to jump down from the podium but a shield blocked her. It fizzled and crackled as she made contact with it.

"Fuck this," she snarled and teleported.

She used the shimmering shield that Mersey had kept up to hide herself from the others engaged in battle. As Buck threw his punches at the place Ford Two had just been, he glanced up to see Mersey's shield falter as she collapsed. Berks stood behind her, breathing heavily. She paused, staring right at Buck before she vanished.

The blur of Rut tearing around the arena was joined by another, two flashes, one orange and black, the other white and red, speeding alongside each other. At first it appeared that they were at equal pace to each other but the black streak pulled ahead and the white slowed until the form became recognisable.

Berks stood for a moment, panting, watching the flash get away. Then, just like before, she vanished. When she appeared, she did so right in front of Rut. A well aimed punch sent him sprawling back and where he fell, he remained.

Dorset was unconscious and Chester was getting ruthlessly beat up by Ford Two as Buck attempted to chase them down. Every time he got close, they vanished again.

Berks snatched Ford Two before he teleported and directed the course herself. He tried to shake her off as they teleported every other second around the arena, his hand still clutching Chester. Then, Chester began to scream. Berks thought it may have been the flashing vision of appearing and disappearing too quickly but as she turned, she saw the paint, the metal, the clothes and even skin begin to tear away from his body. As the two AI infected Freelancers battled, Chester was caught up in the middle, torn between the two as they teleported at the same time.

Berks let go, allowing Ford Two to teleport to the other side of the arena. He dropped Chester beside him. He was bleeding, his skin was torn and his armour was shredded. He lay there, panting, shaking, his eyes wide. He rolled to his side, nearly bathed in his own blood as he threw up.

Buck tore across the arena as Ford Two teleported again, racing for Chester.

"Someone help!" He shouted desperately, his hands pressed on Chester's wounds. But there were so many. Blood seeped through his fingers and Chester's eyes rolled back and he passed out. "Chester! Chester, hold on, buddy!"

Snarling, Berks teleported again. She wrapped her arms around Ford Two's neck. Evidently, he was under instruction not to leave the arena as they ricocheted around, always surrounded by that hideously bright white. Berks used her strength to tighten her grip, growling under her breath as Ford Two attempted to shake her off. He began to move less, taking time to pause with each teleportation. He was getting weaker.

Berks drew her arm even tighter, her teeth bared as Ford Two's air supply was becoming less available. Eventually, desperately and weakly clawing on her arms, he dropped to the ground.

She staggered for a moment, panting. Their opponents were scattered around, unconscious. Buck was leaning over Chester, who was bleeding out.

"Help," Buck called in a strangled voice. His helmet was by his side as was Chester's. They clutched hands as Buck had his spare hand pressed to Chester's wounds. It wasn't enough.

Berks rushed over, shaking as she dropped to her knees.

"Stand back," she told Buck and he did what she said. Immediately.

She closed her eyes and pressed her hands to his chest. Chester was pale and his eyes were only half open. His lips were slightly parted, only breathing slightly, interrupted at intervals for a ragged, sharp intake of breath which they feared to be his last. Berks' hands began to glow. She forced all her strength towards Chester, determined to heal every tear, every cut in his flesh. She was shaking, her hands quivered and her face was contorted in exertion. A guttural roar escaped her throat as it became too much. It felt as if all her energy, all her strength was being sucked dry. As he healed, Chester felt his flesh burn and his screams joined her's with the intense glow blinding anyone who looked their way.

Like an implosion of a star, the light suddenly stopped. Berks dropped her arms by her side and slumped where she sat, her chest heaving. Chester panted, eyes blinking rapidly as he sat up, patting down his torso and feeling his face. The only blood left was that which had stained the floor and his armour.

"You... You should rest..." Berks managed as Chester collapsed again.

"You saved his life," Buck said as he knelt down to help Chester to his feet.

"That's what I do for my friends," she replied bitterly, standing unsteadily.

"Thank you," Buck lifted his helmet from the floor and before Berks could recognise a smile, he had placed it on his head. She searched for his thoughts and before weakening herself again, she sensed a strange warmth before she pulled out again. Interesting.

Suddenly, the pillars which she had stood on and which London still stood on, began to descend.

"Get Chester out of here," Berks ordered, "get them all out."

"Can you face him on your own?" Buck asked, sounding concerned. "You can barely stand up straight."

"I'll be fine," Berks assured him, not quite snapping but not sounding convincing either.

He put a hand on her shoulder, just as the pillar reached ground level and London stepped off.

"Take care of yourself," he said quietly. "Don't die."

"I'll try," she replied with a hint of humour. After all, when you're about to die, what else is there to do but joke?

"And now!" The speaker split through the arena. "The final event! Let's see once and for all who triumphs, exhausted Alpha or experienced Beta, Charlie and Kilo. I think I know who I'll be placing my bet on."

"Go!" Berks shouted to Buck as London began to run towards her. The hand left her shoulder as she rushed forward to meet him. The two adversaries drew closer, closer and-


	27. The Conductor

-London stopped short and kicked out, sending Berks flying back. She reached out and planted her palms to the floor so she controlled her tumble, flipping back on her feet. She was weak but she needed to press her powers to gain an advantage. She squeezed her eyes shut and searched his mind, looking for his planned moves.

Her eyes snapped open and she could tell London was smiling. Every thought she tried to read was an echo, repeating, growing louder. He was reading her mind as she read his. Every thought bounced between them, grating on her mind.

She pulled back and cut off that power, allowing herself to reserve her energy. Berks resorted to physical strength as she balled up her fists and rushed forward, delivering punches that hit London with such a force she feared she would break his bones. She didn't want to hurt him, she just wanted to stop him. This is what the Conductor wanted. London didn't know what he was doing, he wouldn't stop, he wouldn't remember who she was. That was up to her.

"London!" Berks shouted, teleporting back. "Stop this! Please, remember who you are!"

London tilted his head to the side, as if he was wondering who she is was referring to. All he had been was Beta, Charlia and Kilo. He wasn't London not anymore.

He burst forward and Berks teleported again.

"Ugh!" She dropped to one knee as she appeared again. Using each power was taking its toll. She was already weary. If she kept this up, she wouldn't make it.

London was running towards her again. She couldn't teleport again, she felt so nauseous. He flipped, sending a kick soaring towards her head.

With a raised hand, a shield appeared and London fell back as a crack resonated across the arena.

"London!" Berks dropped the shield and stood to see the man lying sprawled, his attacking leg bent at a ridiculous angle. "Oh, shit."

She rushed towards him, kneeling down again. His helmet had come off and was still spinning where it had landed. His eyes were closed.

"London?" She whispered.

His eyes flashed open, just like her's had done. But in his eyes was the blue of Beta, the yellow of Charlie and the purple of Kilo. It was all mixed in there, swirling like a kaleidoscope and they were angry.

Suddenly, his leg began to glow. Berks wondered if it was Alpha and so checked her own hands. By the time she realised it was Kilo, London's leg had been set straight.

London darted up, sending a punch across her jaw. Berks fell back and he leapt upon her, pinning her down as he sent punch after punch into her helmet. He didn't even have Mike, the strength AI, it was just raw power that shook her head so much she could barely think. Her visor cracked and London grinned. All she could do was take the punches, staring up with blurred vision at the grinning, silver haired man, his eyes wild. But it was still London in there, somewhere.

Berks wrestled her arms free and tried pushing at his shoulders but even Alpha was too weak at this point. It was failing her.

"London!" She screamed. "Stop!"

"I'm not London," he replied, that grin still spread across his face.

Berks turned cold. No AI had ever spoken. Not even Alpha had talked while she was infected the first time around. He was stronger. He was better. He would win.

"I am Beta." He said darkly, slowly. "I am Charlie. I am Kilo."

Berks said nothing. She was frozen, watching his face contort. His skin rippled blue, yellow, then purple. Then, his whole features changed.

"You failed us." Devon said, looming over her, her voice menacing. "I'm your best friend and you failed me. You're not strong enough to save us. We're going to die because of you. It's all your fault."

Berks couldn't breathe. She could only stare with wide eyes through that crack in the visor as his face shifted again.

"Would you be stronger now if you had let me die?" Chester asked, deep red scars lined across his face, dripping with blood. "If I was lying in a puddle of my own blood, could you be strong enough to save everyone else? Did you make the right choice, Berks?"

"Stop it!" She squeaked, gasping her words from her dry throat. "Please, stop!"

London changed again, into one final figure.

"Do you think I ever really loved you?" Buck jeered, his lip curled back, showing his bared teeth.

It wasn't him, Berks kept telling herself. It wasn't Devon, it wasn't Chester, it was London, playing with her. Those weren't his eyes. Those were the eyes of Beta, Charlie and Kilo.

"If I ever loved you, don't you think I would trust that it was you, and not Alpha?" He tilted his head, mocking her.

"No, it's not you, it's not you," Berks muttered, feeling her eyes well up with tears.

"I said I'd be with you forever, I lied. I don't love you. Do you hear me, Ashlynn?_ I don't love you!_"

Berks screamed, the sound tearing through the air, louder than any explosion and just as destructive.

As the sound faded, Berks panted, gasping for air. She felt something in her hand. It was a chunk of flesh, covered in blood. She turned her head, back to the man looming over her, whoever he was now.

Buck stared at her, his multicoloured eyes wide. He struggled to form a word. He couldn't breathe. A large part of his throat had been torn out and blood ran from his neck down onto his chest, red staining the blue and white armour. Then, he flickered, his face contorted back into the silver haired man and the blood stained a gold and black armour instead. The body slumped down beside her and did not move again.

"London!" Berks screamed, scrambling up and swatting off the chunk of flesh from her hand. "No! Please! Don't be dead! Oh, God, no!"

The man was limp. His eyes were still open and they were grey. Whimpering, Berks closed his eyes and set him down.

She stood, her legs were weak and she stumbled slightly, nearly falling again. Her chest heaved and she struggled to breathe. Berks tore her helmet off and dropped it at her feet.

"_Conductor_!" She screamed. "_Where are you_?!" Tears streamed down her face and her body trembled.

"I'm here," the voice echoed around her. "I've always been here."

"Show yourself! You've sent your men to do your dirty work!"

"Don't you want to know who I am?" The voice was curious of her intentions.

"I know who you are! You're a monster!" Berks was sobbing now, the blood of London drying between her fingers.

"Ah! I think you'll find, you're the monster, my dear."

"You made me like this! You made us all like this! You made me kill him!"

"Did I? I didn't force your hand. Did I make you kill those three Freelancers too?"

"Yes!" Berks fell to her knees. "I didn't know what I was doing! You made me want to kill them! You made me a monster!"

"Then call me Doctor Frankenstein if you will, but I believe you know me by another name."

Gasping for air, Berks looked up to see the panel below the spectator booth open, stairs extended downwards which a single man descended from. He walked slowly and purposefully towards her.

"No..."

She recognised his armour before he removed his helmet, revealing his face. She should have known, all the soldiers around Command wore either silver or black armour, the same colour that belonged to their leader. The same colour that belonged to one of them men she met on her very first day as Freelancer, both times.

"Surprised?" Agent Nottingham asked. "I would be."


	28. Sacrifice

"Y- you?" Berks stuttered. "But how?"

"Agent London and I were partners when the Freelancer programme was set up." Sheriff, or the Conductor, explained. "We wanted to keep a sense of equality between everyone so we attempted to make sure that no one knew Agent London was in charge of Project Freelancer and I was in charge of the whole British Legion. His secret slipped a little early, a rumour spread around between you Freelancers. My secret was guarded a little more closely." He smiled. "Of course, he didn't know my true intentions for Project Freelancer, he wasn't aware he was part of it either."

"You backstabbing bitch," Berks growled, staring up at him with hatred and contempt.

The Conductor shrugged.

"In hindsight, maybe I should have let him in on it. He could have controlled you better went I wasn't around. All it took was some suspicious, hot-headed Freelancer to abandon the project and everyone follows suit."

"Bria," she whispered.

"Yes, Agent Cumbria is here too, no doubt your main resource when discovering my plan for the Artifical Intelligence systems. Pity she didn't learn about me too, eh?"

"What's a pity is that you're still breathing," Berks retorted, snarling under her breath.

"Oh, talking back to your superior? Very unprofessional, Agent Berkshire."

"Wait," Berks paused for a moment, a memory resurfacing. "The AIs couldn't speak. Only three together could form words."

"And your point is...?"

"When I was at the blue base... And Buck was shot... There was someone there. That spoke to me..."

"There's no honour in war." The Conductor repeated with a menacing smile.

"It was you!"

"Yes, I did grace you with my presence."

"Why?"

"Uh," he sighed, rolling his eyes. "All these questions! I was unsure if reuniting you with Alpha would work. To avoid possible... Uncertainties, I wanted you dead. Agent Buckinghamshire got in the way. He took the shots that was meant for you."

Then, the doors to the arena opened and the Conductor and Berks turned towards it. Grey and black soldiers marched in, guns pointed towards Buck, Chester and Dorset as they marched back in. As Buck caught her eye, Berks squirmed, seeing London's face over her screaming that he didn't love her. But there was another force, reaching out towards her.

She closed her eyes and let Alpha search for thoughts. She found Buck first. He was... Projecting his thoughts out to her.

_She could see what had happened through his eyes. She could see herself running towards London as he rushed for Chester, he could stand now. The memory was moving quickly, too quickly to make out the muffled voices. Chester had nodded to whatever Buck said and they managed to wake Dorset. He wasn't too badly injured, it was Rut, Mersey and Ford Two that were stone cold out. They managed to pick them up, wobbling slightly as they rushed out of the arena, using Mersey's hand to open the door through sensor recognition. Buck had glanced back. He saw her teleport and stumble to her knees._

_"We have to go!" Chester had said and with a lingering look and a nod, he had followed._

_They made it out, up to the roof where the other two Freelancers were lying._

_Vicky wasn't there. What had happened to her?_

_"We have to help Berks and the others!" Buck had told them and it didn't take much convincing for them to get down off the roof. They were caught in one of the corridors. Armed guards in black and silver uniforms had led them back here._

Alpha pulled out and Berks nodded to Buck who nodded in reply. Then the three looked to the man before her. Realisation alighting on the faces of Dorset, Chester and Buck.

"Nice of you to drop by!" The Conductor smiled. With a wave of his hand more soldiers appeared, escorting Bria, Devon, Wight, Glo and York down the stairs behind him. Each were stone faced, concealing their fear. Even Wight put on a desperately brave expression.

Berks was still on her knees, barely able to sit up straight let alone stand. She watched as her teammates were lined up, facing forward, quietly obeying the orders they were given, all with their helmets removed.

"What are you doing?" She asked the Conductor.

"I'm introducing another friend," he replied and again raised his hand.

Lester marched down the stairs, recognisable by his green and black armour. As he reached the bottom, moved a hand, causing the stairs to retract and draw the panel down. This was another AI.

"Now, Berks, question," the Conductor rocked on his feet, hands behind his back, "one particular AI, Delta, it controls the use of technology, correct?"

Berks nodded, not taking her eyes off Lester who stood facing her whole team, regarding them with no notable expression.

"And I suppose, this includes the use of guns, yes?"

Berks nodded again, this time more slowly.

The Conductor snapped his fingers and one soldier, in a coal black armour stepped forward.

"Instead of executing your team in front of a firing squad, I'm going to make sure you do it yourself," the Conductor wasn't smiling anymore. His face was dark and he spoke in a low growl. "As each man or woman falls, you will be reminded that you could have saved them if you had only conformed to the plan."

The soldier approached the first person in line, Bria, and shackled a pistol to her wrist. This pistol was similar to the Freelancers own weaponry, one of the rare things to pierce their armour. As soon as it found her hand, she raised it at the Conductor, her finger hovering over the trigger. But he didn't even flinch.

"Go on," he nodded, "try it."

Bria squeezed the trigger but nothing happened. She lowered the pistol in defeat.

"You see, Lester here has Delta, or rather, Delta has him. He will make each of you shoot and kill the person to your right."

Bria turned to her right. Buck turned to his left.

"No..." Bria's arm shook as the pistol began to move on its own. "No, Lester, don't do this. Stop it!"

Buck couldn't move. Behind each of the Freelancers were the soldiers, eager to kill the Freelancers themselves if they tried to avoid the fire. They wouldn't move anyway. If they shifted their heads at the last moment, the pistol would kill the next person along. Devon had her eyes closed beside Buck, quivering and trying not to cry. No one could keep their brave expressions anymore.

Bria tried to pull her arm back, tugging on the pistol that wouldn't shift in its place. Even if she let go, the pistol would fire anyway. Delta had complete control over it. She begged him to stop. He didn't listen.

Tears were streaming down Bria's face. Berks was so incredibly weak. She tried to find Delta, to stop him, but he was stronger than her. Alpha couldn't get control over the pistol. She couldn't save him.

"Lester!" She screamed as the pistol aligned with Buck's skull. "Kill me instead!"

With a sharp movement, the pistol fired. Screams scattered among the Freelancers and while few refused to turn as they began to sob, others forced their heads to turn to see Buck's lifeless body.

Yet, he still stood.

Bria wobbled where she stood. The pistol was pointed towards her own chest and blood trickled in a heavy flow down the front of her black and red armour.

She gave a weak smile and collapsed.

"Susan!" Buck fell to his knees and the Conductor raised a hand as the soldiers advanced, commanding them to stand down.

His gazed at her with a distraught expression, unable to form words as he rested her head on his lap.

"Please, Susan," he begged, "stay alive. Don't go."

She could barely keep her eyes open. But she kept that smile.

"Help her!" He turned, shouting at Berks.

"It's too late," Bria whispered, "she... She can't save him."

"I'm sorry," Berks sobbed. "I'm so sorry."

Buck bowed his head, squeezing his eyes shut as his own tears fell upon her armour, mixing with her lifeblood that escaped her all too quickly. Bria raised her arm and put her hand to his cheek. As he opened his eyes and watched her die, she spoke only a few shaky words.

"Remember who your heart truly belongs to," she breathed.

Her arm fell limp and her eyes closed.

Everything was silent excusing the occasional sob. Buck closed his eyes again and began to shake. Berks could feel his pain. She could feel the rage, the misery, the despair boiling inside him. It seemed to be some sort of power source, his mourning was building up, giving her strength.

Suddenly, Buck roared, lifting his head up. The power surged, finding Alpha and all at once restored her strength.

Her eyes were narrowed and her teeth were bared like a wild animal. She stood to her feet, fists clenched and glared at the Conductor.

"I... I wasn't expecting this," he glanced from Buck and Bria to Berks. "What... What have you done?"

Alpha sensed Delta ready the guns behind her, all aimed on her. With a twist of her wrist, the guns jammed. The Conductor gave Lester a cautionary glare.

"What are you doing? Shoot her!" He barked.

Berks just glared at him, eyes like fire and he could feel his soul burn. She raised a hand and stepped aside. The soldiers, nervously turning to each other, all had their weapons aimed at the Conductor.

"Stand down, men, stand down," he sounded afraid.

Good.

"Fire," Berks ordered, spitting the word out.

Each gun fired, ripping into the Conductor and sending him stumbling back. He was on his knees, gasping for air. Blots of red peppered his silver and black armour and a trickle of blood made its way from the corner of his lip. He coughed, spraying blood as he returned the glare, staring up at Berks.

She raised her boot and pushed at his forehead, making him fall back. Once he hit the floor, he didn't get up again.

Lester moved and Berks teleported, catching him from behind and cutting off his airways with her arm. He didn't struggle for long. He collapsed, unconscious.

The remaining soldiers exchanged a glance between them and then bolted, dropping their guns as they fled.

"Berks..." Devon whimpered.

She turned to face her friend and Berks rushed towards her, wrapping her arms around her as she sobbed.

"Oh, God, I thought... I thought we were all gonna die... Bria...!"

Berks stroked her hair, calming her down and glanced to Buck.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save her." She said quietly, hardly daring to meet his gaze.

"You saved the rest of us. She would have preferred that." He replied, tearing his eyes from the body of his friend on the floor.

"It was you," Berks told him, "it was your strength that saved us."

"I just wish I could have done it sooner," he sighed.

"We're finished here," Chester said, stepping forward. "Let's get Lester and go."

The Freelancers nodded and in a solemn silence they left the arena.

"Do you want to stay a while longer?" Berks asked when it was just her, Buck and the bodies of Bria, London and the Conductor.

"We should take them back with us." He said. "To bury. Not him though."

They glanced at the Conductor, lying sprawled in a puddle of his own blood. Berks nodded in agreement.

Buck knelt down to pick up Bria and it broke Berks' heart to see the expression on his face as her head lolled back with her lips slightly parted. She almost seemed asleep.

Berks lifted London up and tried not to look at him, only reminded of the way he died. Buck reached out with his arm under Bria's legs and Berks who was carrying London over her shoulder, took his hand.

The next moment they were on the roof. The Freelancers were all around them and gave the two a polite nod when they appeared. The sound of a plane grew closer and as the air pushed at them, causing their hair to whip around their faces. Vicky had arrived.

Wight and Devon waved her down and the hanger door opened, ready to load to the passengers. Dorset carried Ford One and York lifted Ford Two onto his shoulders, stepping aboard. Chester picked up Mersey and Devon did the same for Staffie. Glo took Rut and Wight, although struggling, took Lester.

"That's everyone," Berks said quietly as Buck and her followed behind.

"It's scary how even the numbers are," Buck replied, no hint of humour to his voice at all. "If Bria had still been alive, neither of us would have carried anyone."

"Life's a balancing act," Berks muttered her reply as the hanger door closed behind them. "And it's not always a good thing when the scales are equal."


	29. Time To Say Goodbye

February 1st 2016 marks the anniversary of the death of Monty Oum. As this story ends, I leave a reminder of the legacy he created, the worlds he formed and his immortal words of 'keep moving forward'. One year on and we haven't stopped moving, just like he told us. So let's keep moving forward and contributing to the work he started. That's it for now.

* * *

It wasn't a particularly impressive tombstone. It was a little crude if he was honest.

"Sorry, Susan," Buck winced, standing back and looking at the chunk of stone which was misshapen and ugly. "You'd laugh if you could see it."

He smirked and read over the inscription for the upteenth time.

"Here lies Susan Ashford, Agent Cumbria, a hero. That's not too bad, is it?"

The wind whistled around him as a reply on that lonely hillside. It was the same place where she had shot him, thinking he had Alpha. He found it sort of poetic.

Then, Buck's helmet beeped. A message from Devon.

He frowned. It sounded sort of urgent, she was telling him to get back to base as soon as possible.

He put his helmet back on and jumped on the warthog, giving Bria a nod goodbye. As he drove back, he thought of the events that had occurred over the past few weeks. They had buried London closer to base with a much nobler tomb but Buck had decided he wanted to take care of Bria's grave himself. She had been his closest friend before Berks and even when Alpha had destroyed everything he knew, she was still there for him. He forgave her for nearly killing him.

Bria was right, he had to remember who he truly loved. Susan was dear to him, a close friend who had ultimately died for him but there was still love for another. He didn't know if his relationship with Berks was capable of fixing. He had hurt her so badly.

Since the death of the Conductor, the Freelancers had split away from the British Legion for good as new leadership took over, hopefully better than the last. They were made aware of the Conductor's plan and his subsequent death. They wouldn't be making the same mistake. Buck was now in control of the Freelancers and while the shift of power pleased everyone else, he wasn't completely happy with the responsibilities. He wanted time to reconcile with Berks but he had to organise training, drills, commissions to bases and Berks always took the furthest job away from base.

The AIs were under lock-down in the Freelancer base, something else that Buck had to control. Those small chips were each placed in glass covers, their coloured light pulsing in the dark storage room they were in. After being operated on, Rut, Mersey, Lester, Staffie and the Fords all had their AIs removed and placed with the others that Command had handed over to them. They trusted that the Freelancers knew how to keep them safe in the intention to learn more about them, to study them and possibly make it safer. If not, they would be destroyed. What they had found after removing the AIs from some of the Freelancers was that the chips taken from under their shoulder blades were half empty. Half of the AI, dormant, was still inside them. Like Berks' connection, all it would take would be for the Freelancers to touch the chip and their AI would return. Whether they would suffer a brief coma and have their memories returned was unclear, Alpha was the strongest of the AIs and the others were just split copies of it. However, the Freelancers were in no hurry to reconnect with their AIs and remember the harm they caused. It nearly broke him when Buck had to tell each Freelancer waking up from surgery what had happened. To see their expression of anguish when they were told they had attacked and nearly killed their teammates. Lester wasn't told his AI was responsible for the death of Bria. He didn't deserve to bear that burden.

The warthog slowed to a halt and the rumble cut out as Buck turned off the ignition. He jumped out, waving to the soldier who opened the gate to let him in where Devon met him at the other side.

"What's up?" He asked, taking his helmet off and placing it under his arm.

"Just hurry, we might make it in time," she said, grabbing his hand and burst into a sprint.

"Make it for what?" He protested as he was dragged along behind her.

They ran for the runway tracks where the Freelancers were gathered around, watching a small plane growl and take off.

"No!" Devon shouted. "I told her to wait for you!"

"What?" Buck glanced at the plane, at the Freelancers who waved goodbye and at Devon who grumbled angrily. "Dev, who was that?"

"It was Berks," Devon explained, he voice quiet, "she's gone."

"Gone?" He spluttered in disbelief as sighting his friend, Chester approached them. "Why?!"

"This will explain," he said and handed over a letter, the form of communication that had almost died out.

Without any words, Buck took the letter and opened it.

_"Eoin,_

_I'm sorry I've left without saying goodbye. No doubt, Devon would have tried to get you in time but I just couldn't face you. For someone with an near indestructible AI I'm a damn coward._

_I've left because you're right, I'm not the same person that walked in the Freelancer base all those months ago. I need some time to find where Ashlynn stops and Alpha begins. It's something I have to do alone._

_I might be back one day, but if I don't, I've left your ring and I've taken mine with me. I still love you even if you don't feel the same. Don't forget me. Not like I forgot you._

_Ashlynn._"

Buck emptied the contents of the envelope into his hand. One gold ring.

"Let's give him some space," Devon said in a hushed tone to Chester and the two joined the rest of the Freelancers who were now making their way back into the building.

Buck tugged at his dog tag and pulled it from his neck. He opened the clasp and threaded the ring back on, placing it beside his heart.

Berks' plane was long out of sight now, drifting into whatever part of the universe she chose, untethered to anything here. As Buck tucked the letter under his armour, he closed his eyes. Maybe if he opened them again, Berks would be standing there, a mischievous grin on her face.

_"Think I'd get away that easily? Not a chance. Whaddya say we try this again, eh?"_

Buck smiled and opened his eyes.

No one was there.

He sighed and continued to gaze out at the empty runway. She'd be back one day, she had to be, but until then, all he had was memories. Alone, that's all he was left with, memories and the returning silence that threatened to never leave his side.

For now, he had to keep moving forward. There was no going back. It was time to say goodbye.


End file.
